Philippine Collegian Tomo 93 Issue 16

KULĂŠ

Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman Huwebes 21 Abril 2016 Tomo 93 Blg 16

identity crisis KULTURA 5

2 EDITORYAL

Huwebes 21 Abril 2016

KONTRA-OPENSIBA NAG-AANAK NG GIYERA ANG patuloy na kahirapang nararanasan sa Mindanao.

Hindi pa man nabibigyan ng hustisya ang pandarahas at pagpatay sa mga Lumad at magsasaka sa Mindanao, muli na namang umigting ang giyera sa Basilan na ikinamatay ng 18 sundalo at nag-iwan ng 53 pang sugatan.

Sa Mindanao matatagpuan ang pinakamahihirap na lalawigan sa bansa kabilang ang Lanao del Norte, Sulu, Sarangani, at Maguindanao batay sa tala ng Philippine Statistics Authority.

Hindi na kataka-takang nagpapatuloy ang kawalan ng kumpyansa ng mga mamamayan sa gobyernong ang sagot sa rebelyon ay dahas sa halip na kabuhayan at sapat na badyet para sa mga imprastruktura at iba pang batayang serbisyo tulad ng agrikultura, edukasyon, at pangkalusugan.

Patuloy ang girian sa pagitan ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP ) at ng teroristang Abu Sayyaf na itinuturing na responsable sa kaliwa’t kanang krimen sa rehiyon.

Sila ang itinuturo na nasa likod ng mga kaso ng kidnapping, pambobomba, pamumugot ng ulo, at pagpatay. Nauna nang idineklara ng Estados Unidos (US) ang Abu Sayyaf na teroristang grupong nakabase sa Pilipinas.

Higit na pinatindi ng pagmamaniobra ng US sa mga sundalong Pilipino ang ilang dekada nang giyera sa Mindanao.

Ang bagong mga pag-atake ay nakaugat sa layuning mahuli ang kumander ng Abu Sayyaf na may patong na limang milyong dolyar mula sa US. Pangalawang pag-atake na ang nangyari noong ika-14 ng Abril matapos ang unang atake noong ika-9 ng Abril kung saan may 18 sundalo at limang Abu Sayyaf ang namatay.

Sa halip na tulong, karahasan at pananamantala ang idinulot ng ilang dekadang pakikipag-ugnayan ng Pilipinas sa US. Sa katunayan, naging mailap ang hustisya para sa mga biktima ng pandarahas ng mga dayuhang sundalo. Ilan lamang dito

P L AY B A C K Anong mensahe mo para sa mga nagsulong ng Academic Calendar Shift?

O ano? Shift pa ba? They should've been open to ALL UP STUDENTS if they can benefit from this, kung may sapat bang income for a summer sem, kung kaya ba ng kalusugan ng estudyante.

Kasi ako hindi e! Ang hirap magbaon ng napakaraming damit dahil alam mong pagpapawisan din lahat.

Gio Potes

UP Repertory Company

ang Subic rape case noong 2006 at ang kaso ng pagpatay kay Jennifer Laude noong 2014.

Sa kabila ng mga nakabinbing kaso ng mga dayuhang sundalo, nanatiling bukas ang Pilipinas sa sa mga tropang Amerikano. Binubulag ang mga Pilipino sa paniniwalang malaking tulong ang US upang malutas ang kaso ng krimen at terorismo sa bansa. Ngunit sa ilang kasunduan na pinagdaanan ng Pilipinas at US, nanatili ang kahirapan at naisantabi ang usaping pangkapayapaan sa rehiyon.

Ilan sa kasunduan ang Visiting Forces Agreement na nilagdaan noong 1999. Pangunahing programa sa ilalim nito ang Balikatan exercises, mga taunang pagsasanay sa pagitan ng mga sundalong Amerikano at AFP. Ngunit ang katotohanan, sinasanay nito ang AFP na giyerahin ang sarili niyang mga tao.

Kaya hindi maihihiwalay ang isyu ng nangyayari sa Basilan o Sulu sa kabuuang problema ng mga Bangsamoro. Sa halip na tugunan ang ugat ng rebelyon ng mga rebeldeng grupo, giyera ang sinasagot ng pamahalaan.

Mandato ng pamahalaan na ugatin ang problema—kung bakit patuloy na

Sa huli, ang tunay na talo sa giyera ay ang mga mamamayang nasasangkalan sa digmaan

lumalakas ang pwersa ng mga rebeldeng grupo sa bansa at ang implikasyon ng patuloy na pakikipagkasundo sa mga dayuhang sundalo na silang utak ng kaliwa’t kanang pag-atake sa mga rebelde na naka-ugnay sa layunin nilang ubusin ang mga terorista saan mang dako ng mundo.

Sa Pilipinas lamang, pangunahing problema ng mga Pilipino ang kahirapan at kawalan ng hustisya.

Salat sa batayang serbisyo mula sa pamahalaan ang mamamayan ng Mindanao. Hindi maitatanggi na sa kabila ng masaganang likas na yaman sa rehiyon, talamak ang pandarahas at pananamantala ng mga naglalakihang korporasyon na may malayang operasyon sa rehiyon na pinahihintulutan at hinihikayat pa ng pamahalaan.

Hindi kailanman naging sagot ang giyera sa mga suliranin ng bansa. Sa huli, ang tunay na talo sa giyera ay ang mamamayang nasasangkalan sa digmaan. Sa nangyayaring giyera sa Mindanao, kalayaan sa dahas, kabuhayan, at sapat na serbisyong panlipunan ang tanging kahingian ng mamamayan. 

Ngayong tag-init, sumisingaw na ang baho ko -- literal. Pero para sa mga nagsulong ng academic calendar shift, matagal nang sumingaw ang baho n'yo sa inyong mga dahilan sa pagpapatupad ng programang ito. Ngunit bakit tayo pa ang kailangang mag-adjust para sa mga dayuhang mag-aaral sa pamantasan.

Sobrang hospitality naman, ano?

Renz Almenanza

3rd Year, BA Journalism Student

We geodetic engineering students experience so deeply the severe effects of climate change, as we conduct fieldworks, nine hours on the average per week. It is definitely not for us.

The UP system should have carefully considered the pros and cons of this acad calendar shift in this time when it's taking its toll on us..

Joanne Diaz

4th year, BS Geodetic Engineering Student

Simple lang ang tanong para sa mga nagsulong ng ACS: Saan ang tunay nilang pagkiling, sa mga estudyanteng nahihirapan sa pagpasok arawaraw dahil sa init ng panahon, o sa mga dayuhan at ilang miyembro ng administrasyon na hindi naman nakararanas ng tindi ng init?

Erwin Colcol

4th Year, BA Journalism student

UKOL SA PABALAT Dibuho Joshua Rioja

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN 2015-2016

Punong Patnugot Mary Joy Capistrano Kapatnugot Victor Gregor Limon Tagapamahalang Patnugot Jiru Rada Patnugot sa Balita Arra Francia Patnugot sa Grapiks Guia Abogado Tagapamahala ng Pinansiya Karen Ann Macalalad Kawani Kenneth Gutlay / Chester Higuit Pinansiya Amelyn Daga Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon Garry Gabales Sirkulasyon Amelito Jaena / Glenario Ommamalin Mga Katuwang na Kawani Trinidad Gabales / Gina Villas Kasapi UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations (Solidaridad) / College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) Pamuhatan Silid 401 Bulwagang Vinzons, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman, Lungsod Quezon Telefax 981-8500 lokal 4522 Online kule1516@gmail.com / www.philippinecollegian.org / fb.com/philippinecollegian / twitter.com/phkule / instagram.com/philippinecollegian

BALITA 3

Huwebes 21 Abril 2016

New SUC budget process earns criticism from student groups z KAREN ANN MACALALAD WHILE THE GOVERNMENT INCREASED student participation in the budgeting process of state universities and colleges (SUCs), these do not guarantee higher state subsidy in the following academic years, according to student groups.

The criticism comes after the Department of Budget and Management announced the adoption of a consultative process in crafting the budget of the 114 SUCs in the country. Under the process of Bottom-up Budgeting (BUB) and Budget Partnership Agreement (BPA), students will be part of the committee that proposes priority projects for the next fiscal year.

Introduced in 2012, BUB has been used to craft the budget of local government units so officials can suggest the development needs of poor areas, while the BPA is a contract entered into by government agencies and civil society organizations.

“This new initiative will help ensure that our SUCs get the most out of their annually increasing budgets by addressing the needs of their students and faculty,” Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said in a press release.

However, this is not the solution to the budget cuts SUCs experience since it is just a token move of the administration to show that students are part of the budgeting process, said Raoul Danniel Manuel, chairperson of Katipunan ng mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP (KASAMA sa UP) and convenor of Rise for Education (R4E) Alliance in UP. KASAMA sa UP is the only student council alliance across the UP System, while the R4E Alliance consists of more than 250 student organizations calling for free and accessible education.

No guarantee against budget cut Under the new mechanism, representatives from the student, alumni, faculty, and non-teaching staff sectors will convene to choose from a list of possible priority projects provided. After identifying their projects, they will enter into the BPA contract signed by the president of the SUC and selected representatives, for submission to Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and DBM. This additional process of consulting the stakeholders includes greater transparency among the parties involved, more active participation among the stakeholders and higher chance of capital outlay projects being considered

by DBM in the agency’s budget, said Professor Joselito Florendo, UP Vice President for Finance and Management.

Students and faculty members have limited representation in the current budgeting process as respective SUCs submit their proposal to DBM by March.

Only selected agencies undergo the BUB and BPA programs from January to March.

The consultation process is actually being employed by UP, since chancellors of different constituent units (CUs) and the director of the Philippine General Hospital present their budget proposals every start of the year, Florendo said.

“The underlying assumption to this is that each CU has already done their respective consultations with their constituents prior to crafting the CU budget and presenting the same to the UP President,” Florendo said.

While KASAMA sa UP welcomes the new mechanism, the approval of the budget proposal still depends on Congress and not with the students, Manuel said.

For instance, while the UP administration proposed a budget of P24.67 billion for 2016, only P11.22 billion was approved.

These consultations may also be bogus and may become just a means for information dissemination, said Kevin Castro, Deputy Secretary General of National Union of Students of the Philippines. “Sa tuition consultation kasi may mga reports tayong nakukuha from different regions … karamihan sa mga private schools ang tuition hike na ipinapatupad nila ay hindi talaga consulted with the students,” he explained.

The NUSP and R4E Alliance have been protesting against “bogus” tuition hike consultations that have allowed tuition and other school fee increase under CHED Memorandum Order No. 3 series of 2012, which sets the guidelines on fee increases and introduction of new fees.

Despite the grassroots approach on the budgeting process, there is no guarantee that budget cuts will stop unless the issue of commercialization in the SUCs will be removed and personal interests of the administration will be put aside, Castro said.

There has also been lack of student facilities such as laboratories across SUCs, Castro said. In 2014, only P1 billion has been allocated for the capital outlay of UP, from P1.45 billion in 2013 and P190 million in 2012.

Subsidy for financial aids and student services such as dormitories must be ensured in the SUC’s budget, Manuel said.

“Sa UP ngayon, we see na pati dormitory ay privatized pa - kumbaga ipinapasa sa private entities and ipinapaubaya sa kanila ‘yung pagprovide ng mga dormitory sa estudyante,” he added.

Less government support The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is currently formulating the 2017-2022 Action Plan for the Roadmap for Public Higher Education Reform (RPHER), which increases

consultative processes between SUCs and their stakeholders. The RPHER encourages SUCs to conduct incomegenerating projects and partner with private companies to become selfsustaining and less dependent on government subsidy.

The reform also dictates the amount of budget respective SUCs will receive for its personal services, and maintenance and other operating expenses through the revised Normative Funding Formula.

Here, the performance of the SUCs in terms of passing and enrolment rates, among others, are considered as measures to increase state subsidy.

There is danger in the adoption of participatory budgeting in the SUCs, Manuel said. “[N]akalagay din sa participatory budgeting ‘yung mga items na pwedeng i-propose ng mga SUC ay dapat in line pa rin sa RPHER, na base naman sa experience ng SUC, siyang tumutulak sa kanila na magkaroon ng projects to become self-sustaining at huwag umasa sa gobyerno,” Manuel said.

In addition, this mechanism may also become prone to corruption since there will be no assurance that the budget received will be allocated to student and faculty services, Castro said.

Kabataan Partylist criticized the regional allocation for BUB in 2016 as “intrinsically designed” to boost the candidacy of former Interior Secretary and presidential candidate Mar Roxas.

The group revealed that large BUB funds were allotted since 2015 to voterich areas and domain regions of the president and Roxas Progressive groups have long labelled the Socialized Tuition System (ST System), UP TechnoHub, and UP Town Center as projects in line with RPHER. Lands that can be used for academic purposes have been rented out to business moguls such as the Ayalas which do not pay their fees on time.

Through the ST System, tuition fee collection rose to P473.43 million in 2014 from P401.47 million in 2013, according to previous Collegian reports. On the other hand, a total of P24.7 billion in tuition fees was collected by SUCs nationwide, Kabataan Partylist reported.

Students can join the participatory budgeting process but in the end, they should remain vigilant and ready to demand for higher state subsidy may it be on the streets, Manuel said.

“Ini-encourage natin ang mga estudyante na i-maximize ang mga paraan upang tunay tayong pakinggan regarding our calls na panindigan ng gobyerno ang kanyang responsibilidad na tugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng SUCs,” Manuel added. y

SPECIFIC BUDGET ALLICATION OF TUITION FEES COLLECTED IN SUCs FOR INSTRUCTION (50%) Faculty and Staff, Curriculum, Student, and Facilities Development

RESEARCH SERVICES (10%)

EXTENSION SERVICES (10%) For dissemination of thesis output

PRODUCTION (10%) For establishment of a project or income-genrtaing activity

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES (10%) MANDATORY RESERVE (10%) As contingency fund

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY AND INTERNAL GENERATED INCOME OF SUCs Budget

Internally-generated Income P44.39 B

P34.92 B P34.92 B

P23.84 B

P25.62 B

P25.36 B P23.81 B

P23.72 B

P11.89 B

2010

2011

P26.58 B

P23.57 B

P12.39 B

2012

2013

2014

2015

Internally-generated income includes cash balance, tuition fees, other income collected from students, income from other sources, grants and donations, and others. Income under 2014 and 2015 are estimates from the DBM.

PROCESSES INVOLVED IN THE BUDGET PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (BPA) PROGRAM TO BE ADAPTED BY SUCs Conducting of a General Assembly including stakeholders and choosing a signatory. (Maximum of four representatives will attend per organization.)

Prioritization and finalization of the list of Capital Outlay projects covered by the BPA. (Necessary forms such as certificates and documented materials are to be submitted; Priority projects should be consistent with the Roadmap to Public Higher Education Reform (RPHER).)

Signing of the BPA by the authorized signatory of the stakeholders.

(Signatories to the BPA include the UP President, representatives from the faculty, student, alumni, and non-teaching personnel sectors.)

Submission of signed BPO to Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Infographic by John Reczon Calay Budget Call Program Budgeting

Presentation to the President Consolidation, Validation, and Confirmation The President's Budget Budget Hearings and Review

Agency Proposals Citizen Engagement

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

Senate Deliberations House Deliberations

AUGUST

PROCESSES INVOLVED IN THE BUDGET CYCLE

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

Ratification and Enrolment Enactment Bicameral Deliberations

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

4 LATHALAIN

Huwebes 21 Abril 2016

CATCHING FIRE

DANIEL BOONE

A BRIGHT SHADE OF YELLOW usually welcomes students come April when sunflowers bloom along the University Avenue, heralding the end of the academic year and the much awaited commencement exercises.

This year, however, a peculiar red color greeted the first day of April. The UP Faculty Center (FC) has burned down, and along with it were many valuable books, irreplaceable manuscripts and research documents, old maps, historical texts, priceless anthropological artifacts, and many works of the country's leading writers and scholars.

This was not the first time a building in UP Diliman has caught fire. In fact, two others have been gutted by fire since June 2015, a pattern that has alarmed the UP community—and quite understably, for how can the university remain safe amid fears that it might be only a matter of time before another building is reduced to ashes?

Fanning the flames It was in June 2015 when the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association Food Center (CASAA) was set ablaze by a gas leak, burning down all food stalls and injuring two CASAA employees.

Just several weeks later, on July 30, the bowling center, located beside the Bahay ng Alumni, also burned down.

Nine months later, the FC became the third UPD building claimed by fire. It was around 1:00 AM when the fire broke out from the building’s third floor due to faulty electrical wiring, according to initial reports.

The fire spread down the lower floors, raising the alarm to Task Force Alpha, one degree higher than the fifth alarm. A total of 55 fire trucks responded to the incident, but it was only until 11:25 in the morning when the fire was finally declared “out.”

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) may take weeks to determine the causes of fire, according to a statement released by Chancellor Michael Tan. Professors are among the most affected in the incident. “Karamihan sa nawala sa akin ay mga libro, gamit sa pagtuturo, personal na gamit at dokumento, ‘yung opisinang ipinaayos pa namin ng roommate ko…, at s’yempre ‘yung mga alaala noong may FC pa,” said Filipino Professor April Perez.

Another Filipino Professor Noemi Rosal lost most of her Filipiniana Collections, literary criticisms, and Ilokano Zarzuela Collections, along with the

copy of her and her husband’s theses and dissertations—materials that are not available in bookstores.

“While the administration of President Alfredo Pascual has recently agreed to most of the affected faculties’ and employees’ demands, nothing can compensate for the loss of libraries, archives, and research materials collected over the years,” said Art Studies Professor Sofia Guillermo.

Yet even as the university begins to recover from the series of fire incidents this year, for Engineering Professor Harold Aquino, the FC may not be the last building susceptible to fire hazards.

Keeping up In a 2014 study completed for his Masters’ Thesis, Aquino examined fifteen buildings including dormitories, academic facilities, libraries, and administration buildings. The assessment of the buildings was anchored to the weighted grade of each building in four categories: potential losses due to fire (risk), probable causes (hazard), buildings’ vulnerability (vulnerability), exposure to elements that may magnify probable losses (exposure).

“Risk” was measured by the amount of materials inside that may be lost during a fire, while the amount of combustible materials inside determined a building's “hazard” factor.

"Vulnerability" was gauged by the inherent susceptibility of the people to hazards, while the number of other objects around that may also catch fire determines the building’s "exposure."

Based on this criteria, the Main Library is the second building most susceptible to fire.

The 67-year old structure houses around 400 Library Information Science students and professors, countless books, serials, film strips, old newspapers, and vast amounts of archived materials including the original Oblation and some century-old manuscripts.

The Main Library's Disaster Preparedness Committee however maintains there is little to worry about as they frequently consult the BFP

and has already upgraded the Main Library’s fire system, according to the Committee’s chair Eimee Rhea Lagrama. “'Di hamak naman na mas [maayos] ang electrical wirings namin [dito sa Main Lib] kumpara sa Faculty Center,” she added.

The staff of the Main Library ensures that they comply with the BFP's standards for fire safety including installation of fire extinguishers and clearing all exits, aside from keeping the driveway car-free, which the BFP identified as the fire lane. Firetrucks need at least 150 meter distance from the building to effectively put a fire out, so students, professors, and library staff are not allowed to park near the area, explained Lagrama.

Several other structures in the campus bear the similar characteristics as the Main Library. The OUR and the Kamia and Kalayaan dorms all have large amounts of combustible materials, but they require particular attention due to possible fatalities, according to Aquino.

“Kamia, Cente, Kalay, and other dorms, intrinsically have high life risks because [there are] people staying there for long hours at a non-alert state,” he said in an interview.

Moreover, Aquino’s study revealed that none of the buildings he examined have fire insurance.

Burning out Possible fatal accounts may be decreased through improving the awareness level of the people inside for proper response to fire by organizing a fire brigade team and conducting a regular fire drill, explains Aquino, but preventing fire is another discussion.

There is always the possibility of fire, said Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Nestor Castro. The administration is scheduled to check all units whether or not they comply with the standards imposed by the BFP in its 2015 inspection. A Disaster Risk Reduction Management Summit regarding fire will also be spearheaded come May 3 to 4, he added.

However, student groups and professors condemned the fact that the university’s

educational facilities remain dilapidated and neglected. “More than the problem of immediate material and financial support, we demand also that our university should lobby and fight for greater state subsidy [to] address the problems that plague the old and dilapidated buildings and facilities [in the campus],” said Congress of Teachers and Educators for Nationalism and Democracy (CONTEND UP).

For 2016, a total of P2.2 billion has been reduced from the UP budget, and only a total of P10.897 billion has been approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Only P1.14 billion of which is dedicated to the capital outlay or funds that may be used for construction of new infrastructures in the whole UP system.

“It’s ironic that while a reported P1 billion of the university’s budget has been funneled into the eUP Project, there have been no moves to maintain and upgrade existing facilities and active use,” said Guillermo.

The apparent cause of fire in the FC may have not been determined yet, but one thing is certain: state abandonment is the root cause of disasters that plague the university. Until the government fully realizes its moral obligation to fund the national university, there would be no telling when or where fire may strike next. 

Illustration by John Kenneth Zapata

KULTURA 5

Huwebes 21 Abril 2016

S I S I R C Y T I T N IDE

The Pro

pos

orm a f e r E G ed

THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy stand across each other along the Academic Oval, like two pieces of a matched set. It is as if their symmetry suggests the equal importance of the sciences and the humanities to UP. The General Education (GE) program stands testament to this, the core of UP's liberal education. Ever since its establishment in 1958 by then UP President Vicente Sinco, the GE was expected to become a unifying element that would maintain UP’s sense of nationalism and service to the community.

But now everything that the GE program stands for is in jeopardy, as reforms to the GE program have rapidly gained ground in UP, with all campuses but UP Diliman adopting the administration's proposed GE reforms.

Once implemented, the reforms would reduce the current number of required GE courses to a minimum of 21 units.

The GE reforms promised to strengthen research in keeping with the demand for a “globally competitive” tertiary education. For all its promises of so-called “progress,” and like all changes in the university brought about by an obsession with “internationalization,” it looks like these reforms come with a very dear price.

A case of identity Under the current GE program, UP students are required to take 45 units of GE courses, of which up to 9 units are prescribed, while the remaining slots are free choice. GE courses fall under three domains: the arts and humanities (AH), social sciences and philosophy (SSP), and math, science and technology (MST).

The program was designed to broaden the students’ intellectual horizons, balance nationalism and internationalism

s Th

P Educ U o t t a re

E A JOYC ANDRE

and integrate knowledge and skills through an interdisciplinary approach.

The implementation of the GE program in 1958 marked the beginning of the GE program's long history. The first Filipino UP President, Rafael Palma, made academic freedom the highlight of his term, encouraging discussions about issues pertinent to the country.

His successor, Jorge Bocobo, further entrenched nationalist ideals through promoting culture. Even as UP was increasing required academic units in its curricula, the university sought to establish a liberal identity. When President Sinco first implemented the GE program, it stood by the same principles and advocated for the humanization of UP’s brand of education.

But the GE program has never been perfect and the university's most progressive faculty responded to challenges of keeping UP education relevant and empowering. Undergoing several changes throughout the years, the GE program came to represent the soul of UP—shaping awareness and fostering critical thinking about the issues within and outside the university.

As early as the Martial Law years, UP students began taking courses such as PI 100, The Life and Works of Jose Rizal. Some course offerings at this time also adopted Filipino as the medium of instruction. The GE program became a means to unite the constituent units of UP. There was a need to reaffirm UP’s liberal orientation and bounce back from fascist interventions and the chilling effect of the Marcos dictatorship.

ation's

t Asp s i l a n o i t Na

irations

AS A . LU C

number of GE subjects to internationalize and rationalize education, as opposed to UP education's current and more liberal slant.

The establishment of a GE program in the university rests on the idea of holistic learning. Its framework was designed in such a way that the intellect is disciplined for its own sake and for its own highest culture, which is how John Henry Cardinal Newman, author of “The Idea of a University,” defines what university life should be like. A university student should not be confined merely to his chosen field.

In the case of UP, this means the iskolar ng bayan must look beyond personal gain or professional development and develop a sense of obligation to serve the nation. “[GE] cannot be detached from our local struggle and national aspirations as a people,” explained Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy (CONTEND) in a statement.

However, the trend to specialize has arisen because of the demands of globalization. In order to be competitive workers, professionals must forego holistic development and trade that for the acquisition of more marketable skills that are useful in the assembly lines of the global supply chain. After having achieved such a level of skill, professionals have little choice but be drawn into the global market and the multinational big businesses that run it.

specialize and go global. This problem is also manifested in other issues, such as the K to 12 program. Militant youth groups such as Anakbayan and the League of Filipino Students have criticized the new educational system as a neoliberal mechanism to pander to the global labor market. “Higit na iniaayon ng mga ito ang edukasyon sa imperyalistang globalisasyon at dayuhang kapital,” the group said in a statement.

This is where a nationalist GE program could have made a difference. “[The] GE is myopically revisioned [by the proposed reforms] as a burden to be endured by students in their quest for a diploma. [But] in the University’s history, GE has proven itself as the only opportunity for all students to acquire the furniture of the mind,” explained CONTEND. Instead of being slaves to the demands of globalization, a well-oriented GE program could steer students into becoming professionals who will choose to heed the call to serve the nation.

“The ontological foundations of the GE curriculum [should not be just a] diploma mill, but training grounds for the next leaders of the country and henceforth the world. We are not creating robots that will only fall short to the hands of the market but Iskolars who will change the world,” said the UP Diliman University Student Council in a statement. 

Taking charge The proposed GE reforms are not the only manifestation of the crisis in education caused by the demand to

Contradictions The GE reforms however now present an absurd proposal—to trim down the

Illustration by Joshua Rioja

6 BALITA

Huwebes 21 Abril 2016

UPD is sole CU to defer GE reforms z MEGAN AGLAUA AFTER THE APPROVAL OF CURRICULAR reforms to the General Education (GE) Program in UP Mindanao (UPMin) on March 28, UP Diliman (UPD) is now the remaining constituent university (CU) in the UP System that implements the current 45unit minimum requirement for GE courses.

Voting 34-14, the UPMin University Council opted to revise their GE framework, reducing the number of minimum units to 21 to 36. The GE reforms will be implemented in academic year 2018-2019.

UPMin is the last CU to adopt the changes, with the same GE unit reduction approved in UP Baguio, UP Manila (UPM), UP Los Banos, and UP Visayas. The proposal was met with opposition from student and faculty groups in UPD, prompting the UPD University Council on January 25 to launch a curriculum review before considering any changes to the GE curriculum.

“Dapat tinututulan ang anumang pagstandardize ng curriculum … Essential ang GE sa makabayang kamulatan kaya kailangang ipaglaban ang nationalist education,” said UPMin University Student Council Councilor Omid Siahmard.

Lack of genuine consultation The entire UP system currently requires all the students to take up no less than 45 units of GE courses across three domains: Math, Science, and Technology, Social Sciences and Philosophy, and Arts and Humanities.

Suggestions to modify the curriculum were drafted within the 2013 UP GE program revision proposal.

Students across the university system criticized the administration for the hasty approval of the GE reforms, foregoing inclusive and comprehensive student consultation or curriculum review.

The first CU to approve the GE reforms on February 9, UPM’s administrators supposedly announced that they will not conduct policy deliberation, dismissing the need for student consultation, said UPM USC Councilor Al Omaga in an earlier interview. “[R]educing the courses in the GE

program poses a threat in the quality of our education and development as Iskolars ng Bayan,” according to a statement released by the UPMin USC. With the reduction of GE units, courses in the arts and humanities are most likely to be affected. Of the total 60 GE courses in UPD, 43 are dedicated to AH and SSP subject, while only 17 are for courses under the MST. “The students are one of the main constituents and yet, we have no say.

We first have to state the problems, the theories, and then we test it,” said Student Regent Miguel Enrico Pangalangan.

‘Pressure to conform’ After deferring the approval on any changes in the GE framework, the UPD UC will meet again and put the decision to a vote.

“The special committee formed to review the UPD GE program is scheduled to submit its report on the third week of April. The report will consist mainly of an assessment of the hybrid GE program,” said College of Arts and Letters Professor Ramon Guillermo, who also heads the All UP Academic Workers Union.

Since UPD is the only campus that has not approved the curricular reforms, we may be pressured to conform as the only remaining CU to follow the current framework, Guillermo added.

The current framework would allegedly complement the K-12 program, the new basic education curriculum that adds two years of high school for students. With the lessons initially intended for GE classes already in K-12 schools, GE classes in the university level are deemed as redundant.

“What is present is not an isolated case, but another in the onslaught of attacks against education brought about by our institution and our government as they peddle the people’s rights and social services for its neoliberal agenda,” according to the Alliance of Concerned Students in UPB. y

#VOTEWATCHUPD 2016 UNIVERSITY STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTIONS INTERVIEWS

COUNCILOR INTERVIEWS Anong prutas ang sumisimbolo sa iyong plataporma at bakit?

Jasper Valentino 2nd Year BS Business Adminisration and Accountancy Ang aking plataporma ay isang pinya kung ito ay isang prutas kasi marami itong mata para maging mapagmatyag kung saan mapupunta ang bawat pisong ginagastos ng estudyante at ng administrasyon. Bilang isang accountant, ang plataporma ko ay tungkol sa financial transparency. y ERRATUM: In the election issue of the Philippine Collegian, the publication mistakenly left out Ms. Jasper Valentino's answer in the #votewatchUPD interviews for the University Student Council elections candidates for councilor. Mr. Vince Liban's name was also incorrectly printed as Vincent Liban while Mr. Dennis Betito Jr.'s surname was mispelled as Dennis Benito. We offer our sincerest apologies to all the individuals and political parties involved for this oversight.

STUNTED GROWTH Jiru Rada

Recent data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute show that chronic malnutrition rate among children up to two years old increased by almost three percent in 2015. Despite government projects such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program that aims to address poverty in the country, the number of children suffering from starvation is now at its highest in the past decade at 26.2 percent. The first two years of life is optimal for a child’s growth and development, and any damage caused by chronic malnutrition during this period is irreversible, according to a statement by non-government organization Save the Children.

Military to hold UPMin ROTC classes z A R J AY I VA N G O R O S P E UP MINDANAO (UPMIN) STUDENTS will soon be allowed to train under military personnel, after the Board of Regents approved the reactivation of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in the campus during its 1316th meeting on March 31.

The university’s highest policy-making body discussed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ 11th Regional Community Defense Group (RCDG), permitting members of the 11th Infantry Battalion to conduct the classes.

The MOA approval brings back the ROTC program in UPMin despite the absence of an implementing academic unit, effectively relegating control to the AFP. Amid the policy revival, various student groups condemned the administration’s railroading of the approval. Together with the Sagip GE Alliance, the UPMin University Student Council (USC) marched to oppose ROTC on the same day of the BOR meeting.

"Like all of the other policies implemented in Mindanao, the ROTC manifests the continued rejection of our admin to the students' plea for representation and participation. We have been calling out the presence of the military camp beside our campus, we dare to ask, why can't the UP admin railroad the abolishment or retreat this camp instead," said UP Mindanao USC Chairperson Leah Aying.

Military presence ROTC is a component under the National Service Training Program, designed to train, organize, and mobilize citizen soldiers for national defense preparedness under Republic Act (RA) 9163. Freshmen and scontinuing students may opt to take the ROTC to satisfy the NSTP requirement.

The mandatory requirement for the program was repealed in 2001, after cases of hazing allegedly occurred under supervision of the ROTC program. The corpse of Mark Chua, a student from the University of Santo Tomas, was found floating in Pasig River in the same year after a supposed security training in Fort Bonifacio under ROTC. Within the UP System, ROTC has been maintained as an option for students in compliance with the NSTP requirement in all constituent units expect for UPMin. "To avoid repeating history, we should look back at the case of Chua, whose story has become the motivation to abolish the ROTC before," said Aying.

Even before the reimplementation of ROTC, the Army Reserve Command (ARESCOM) headquarters has been squatting within UP Mindanao for years, but previous chancellors remained powerless or unwilling to present relocation proposals.

"Right now, they just put up a wooden fence, and during these summer months, they are accommodating training exercises on their ample grounds (which should be UP grounds). We often see uniformed men on the University Avenue," said Aya Ragragio, UP Min Social Sciences professor.

The presence of the ARESCOM violates a special agreement called the League of Filipino Students- Department of National Defense Accord with the university and the national government, which prohibits the presence of military agents within any UP campus.

Currently, 60 percent from the total of military forces in the country are based in Mindanao as part of the Oplan Bayanihan, the Aquino administration’s counterinsurgency program.

"Over 60 percent of the AFP is located here, and what have they done

so far? Aided and abetted Lumad killings.

Encamped and attacked community schools. I cannot believe that the people behind the MOA can be so naïve as to think that this is a purely neutral occurrence,” said Ragragio.

No academic unit While the MOA has already been confirmed within the BOR, the UP Min USC has yet to get a copy of the document.

The council also slammed the board for approving the program without prior student consultations.

"Lacking any form of consultation, it has become a tradition that policies are railroaded to promulgate repression among the students," according to an official statement released by the UP Min USC. The UP admin’s entrustment of the students’ education to the 11th Infantry Battalion is reckless as they cannot prove if they even have a dignified mechanism to train the students, said Aying.

The ROTC program is supposedly placed under the Department of Military and Science Tactics, which reports to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, according to the Implementing Guidelines on NSTPROTC Component No such department currently exists in UPMin. With the absence of the DMST, ROTC as an academic program is questionable if it is to be carried out by the Philippine Army through the MOA, said Ragragio.

“We know that the ROTC before has been used to collect intelligence about progressive groups and individuals in the University. This is the nature of the armed forces: they are deployed not against real enemies, but against ordinary Filipinos, who happen to be courageous enough to speak up or act about social issues,” he added. y

BALITA 7

Huwebes 21 Abril 2016

78 Kidapawan farmers freed after posting bail z MEGAN AGLAUA ALL 78 FARMERS AND LUMAD WHO were arrested during their protest in Kidapawan City, Cotabato have been released on bail through the support of sectoral groups and celebrities, according to initial reports.

Charged with direct assault, the farmers were freed after posting bail worth P6,000 each. Groups who conducted campaigns to raise bail money for the Kidapawan farmers include the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), human rights group Karapatan, and also celebrity couple Aiza Seguerra and Liza Diño, who were able to collect P546,000 for the farmers.

The last batch composed of 48 farmers was released on April 16, while 30 other farmers were initially discharged after court proceedings. A total of 45 men, 29 women, and four minors were among the detainees, including three pregnant women and six elderly individuals, Karapatan reported.

The court in Kidapawan City decreased the bail from the original P12,000 for the provisional release of each farmer who was accused of “direct assault upon an agent of a person in authority” following the bloody dispersal on April 1, according to MindaNews publication. NUPL appealed to decrease the bail to P2,000 each.

Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay earlier denounced the prosecutor’s opposition to reduce bail of farmers.

“Let us not forget that the peasants were in Kidapawan to seek the release of rice because they are hungry and could no longer plant. How on earth could they post bail amounting to more

or less P 1 million when they could not even afford a kilo of rice?” Palabay said in a statement.

Around 6,000 farmers and Lumad formed a picket line along the DavaoCotabato Highway from March 30 to April 5 to demand for additional rice subsidy and relief, as severe drought caused by El Niño affected P238 million worth of crops in North Cotabato. Police officers opened fire against farmers on April 1 which resulted to two casualties, 89 people missing, and 116 wounded from gunshots and police hits.

Despite the casualty and arrest of protesters, farmers along with sectoral groups will continue to call for justice and accountability for the Kidapawan Massacre.

Bukidnon Farmers’ Association staged a series of protest actions on April 12 composed of 5,000 farmers in Valencia City to call for state subsidy, while 3,000 farmers from San Fernando also demanded for government action on their situation.

Farmers from San Fernando on their way to municipal hall were barred twice by the 68th Infantry Battalion and members of the Philippine National Police. This shows that local government units do not want to hear the plight of farmers, said Ireneo Udarbe, secretary general of Kilusang Magubukid ng Pilipinas in Northern Mindanao.

“The thousands of farmers will only be affirming to the government officials what they actually already know – that the extreme drought is death not only to the crops but also to the people who plant them,” Udarbe said. y

Lady Eagles cease Lady Maroons’ volleyball campaign z J O H N R E C Z O N C A L AY THE UP LADY MAROONS ENDED THEIR volleyball campaign against reigning University Athletic Association of the Phillippines (UAAP) champions Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) Lady Eagles in their semi-final match, 19-25, 1625, 21-25, on Saturday, April 16 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

In their first face-off, the Lady Maroons gave the Lady Eagles its second and last defeat in this season’s elimination round with a four-set thriller, 19-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-22 on March 6.

Co-captain Nicole Tiamzon led the Diliman volleybelles with 13 points, 11 of which were attacks. Team captain Kathy Bersola added eight points, while rookie tandem Diana Carlos and Isa Molde contributed 10 points combined.

Jhoana Maraguinot topped the Ateneo scoreboard with 17 points, 10 of which came from kills, three from blocks, and four service aces. Team captain Alyssa Valdez followed with 16 points, where 14 points came from attacks.

ADMU had more kills than UP with 38 against 29, more blocks with 10 against

five, and eight service aces than two. While UP took the nail-biting lead for opponent errors with 20 against ADMU’s 19.

The Lady Eagles, in their fifth consecutive finals appearance, will face either De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers or the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws for the UAAP volleyball crown. On their April 17 faceoff, the Lady Tamaraws rallied late and upset the Lady Spikers sparing DLSU’s first of its twice-to-beat advantage.

The Lady Maroons ends this year’s volleyball season with an 8-6 record. This has been the best win-loss record the Maroons tallied in 10 UAAP seasons. As announced, Molde will be formally awarded as the Rookie of the Year on April 20.

Meanwhile, the men’s volleyball team was defeated by the current UAAP men’s volleyball champion, the Ateneo Blue Eagles, too, 12-25, 13-25, 16-25. The men’s volleyball team also tallied the same 8-6 win-loss card for this season.

The 79th season of the UAAP will be hosted by the University of Santo Tomas. y

PANIBAGONG LABAN John Reczon Calay

Ginawaran ng Katibayan ng Pagkilala ng Office of Community Relations (OCR) si Leonardo Plasencia, kasalukuyang pangulo ng CP Garcia Neighborhood Association Incorporated (CPGNAI), bilang pagkilala sa mga inilunsad ng proyektong pangkomunidad ng kanilang samahan noong 2006. Dahil sa kasalukuyang banta ng demolisyon para sa pagbabakod ng UP Veterinary Medical Hospital, nananawagan ang mga naninirahan sa 25 kabahayan sa likuran ng Hardin ng Doña Aurora na ilipat sila sa lupang nasasakop pa rin ng pamantasan. Nagkulang diumano sa wastong konsultasyon ang administrasyon ng UP para mapag-usapan ang lilipatan ng mga residente, ayon kay Plasencia.

UPD students raise funds for Maricon z JONA CLAIRE TURALDE UP DILIMAN STUDENTS JOINED together in solidarity to raise funds for the bail money of Film student Maricon Montajes, whose bail petition was granted on March 2 after five years of detainment at the Batangas Provincial Jail.

The College of Mass Communication relaunched Task Force Freedom (TFF), a campaign initially intended for calls to free Maricon and other political prisoners. The council aims to raise funds for Maricon’s bail money worth P400,000, as well as the bail for farmer Romiel Cañete and Anakbayan member Ronilo Baes.

Together with Maricon, Cañete and Baes form the Taysan 3. The three were arrested by elements of the 743rd Squadron of the Philippine Air Force while inside a peasant community in Mabayabas, Taysan, Batangas. Maricon was conducting research for her thesis at that time.

016 2 , 1 2 L I APR

In a court decision presided by Judge Rose Marie J. Manalang-Austria dated February 12 granted P400, 000 bail each for Montajes and Baes, while P500, 000 was set for Canete.

Under the TFF, various online campaigns and calls for donation have been made to add to both legal and bail expenses of the Taysan 3.

Shirts labeled with “Free all political prisoners” are currently being sold by the group at P200 each.

As of press time, a total of P85,900 was collected in solidarity for Maricon still far from the P2.1 M which includes the overall bail for the non-bailable charges needed to be raised to accommodate all legal expenses, Jumai Herrera of TFF said.

Meanwhile, CMC professors will be organizing a benefit auction for the Taysan 3. Details will be announced soon, Herrera added.

Several Mass Communication organizations held #FreedomFriday at the College of Fine Arts on April 1, a benefit concert for the legal expenses of the Taysan 3. With tickets sold at P100 each, the event was able to raise P13,394.

Padayon, a night on solidarity for the Taysan 3 was also held on April 14. The event was blank- ticketed which means that the participants can donate as much as they can.

TFF calls for the support of the UP Community to free Maricon and all other political prisoners.

“Halimbawa [si Maricon] ng estudyanteng nakita at mas piniling makiisa sa mas malawak na hanay ng mga di naririnig. Siya ay [pinagkaitan] ng karapatan, at [ang estadong] patuloy na nagpapatahimik sa lahat ng nakikiisa sa mga api at lumalaban.,” Herrera said. y

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Research by Victor Gregor Limon Infographic by Andres Bandilla