February-March 2016

Mapagpalayang kaisipan sa malayang pahayagan PEBRERO - MARSO 2016

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ERROR 404: Development Not Found DIVINE LORAINE PENAFLOR

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ith the aim to improve the university’s facilities, the University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB) pushed through with the Student Academic Information System (SAIS) last midyear term.

According to the Electronic UP (eUP) website, SAIS’s primary function is the management of student relevant data needs from date of first registration to graduation; as part of eUP, it is supposed to answer registration problems such as long queues during enrollment, slow processing of transactions, and large amounts of manually processed documents. However, according to many UPB students, SAIS did not really help removing long lines and speeding up the enrollment.

During the enrollment of the second semester of AY 2015-2016, the server of the computer laboraties encountered problems that resulted in long lines of students getting really impatient and at worst case scenarios, to students running out of classes to enroll in.

“It provides some comfort but it’s still not the best thing to do” said Warren Francisco, a 4th year Social Anthropology student.

The System under Scrutiny SAIS is part of eUP which is President Alfredo E. Pascual’s (PAEP) flagship project that aims to improve UP’s teaching, research and public service and to unite all the constituent universities online. The said project, according to the eUP website, will not only help the University but also the nation by sharing resources and information online. eUP, which started its first phase last January 2012, had an initial budget of P752 million, adding 73% to the normal cost of information technology maintenance and operations in UP which is only P430 million. The annual fee needed for the maintenance of eUP, which is P8 million is also 533% higher than the annual fee required in CRS which is only P1.5 million.

The project will be using a US-based data management software or also known as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) called Oracle; another representation of the strong hold of US even to our education.

At present, the project already spent 96% (P724.9 million) on infrastructure and equipment, Oracle-related expenses, internet and communications and other IT expenses from the initial budget of P752 million. On the first year of its implementation, eUP already spent P422 million on just the purchase of Oracle and other things needed for its startup.

In the recent Orientation-Workshop on Administrative Policies and Procedures, Ms. Ma. Elena Baleta of Cash Office, raised problems encountered by the cash office with regards to eUP. Aside from issuing receipts, the most recurring problem is that they still have to encode every transaction for the day which always lead them

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UP BAGUIO OUTCROP TOMO 42 ISYU 3 PEBRERO-MARSO 2016

Korte Suprema: EDCA, hindi labag sa Konstitusyon JOHN REY DAVE AQUINO

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dineklara ng Korte Suprema na hindi labag sa 1987 Konstitusyon ng Pilipinas ang Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) noong Enero 12, 2016.

Sampung mahistrado ng Korte ang nagsabing hindi labag sa Konstitusyon ang kasunduan sa pagitan ng bansa at ng United States (US) habang apat lamang ang hindi umayon dito. Ayon sa Korte, ang EDCA ay isang ‘executive agreement’ at hindi ‘treaty’ na kinakailangang sang-ayunan ng Senado.

Para sa Amerika Layunin ng EDCA ang mod-

ernisasyon ng hukbong sandatahan ng Pilipinas. Bibigyan ng EDCA ang Amerika ng ‘access’ sa mga baseng militar ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Walong base ang ibibigay ng AFP sa mga Amerikano, paglalahad ni AFP Spokesperson Col. Restituto Padilla. Sa ilalim nito, maaaring magtayo ang US ng mga pasilidad sa mga lugar na ito.

Ayon sa Article VI, Section 4 ng EDCA, may awtoridad din ang US sa lahat ng ‘agreed locations’ at maaari silang gumawa ng mga hakbang na kailangan upang protektahan ang mga pwersang ng US. Nangangahulugan ito ng pangkalahatang kontrol sa mga lokasyong ibibigay ng Pilipinas sa hukbo ng US ng walang bayad. Maaari ring mag-imbak ng mga san-

Summit unifies calls for a green campus LEAH PEREZ

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embers of the University of the Philippines Baguio community pledged its commitment in upholding an environment-friendly campus in the Student Green Campus Summit held last February 22 at the UPB Basketball Court.

Students and organizations strengthened their calls in the first-ever summit which aimed to raise awareness on environmental concerns, to lead the

students towards appreciating environmentalism as a way of life, and to draw up a 3-year plan of action that will ensure the campaign’s continuity.

Discussions and workshops on envisioning and realizing a green UP Baguio were conducted, and sectoral initiatives dating back to 2012 were presented.

Vice-Chancellor for Administration Dr. Jessica Cariño discussed the policy statement drafted back in to be continued on page 3

datang pandigma, mula sa malilit na bala hanggang sa mga ‘nuclear weapons’, sa mga baseng gamitin ng US. Bilang ekstensyon din ng Visiting Forces Agreement ng 1999 at Mutual Defense Treaty ng 1947, ang mga sundalong Amerikano na nakagawa ng krimen sa Pilipinas ay sasailalim sa paglilitis at batas ng Amerika. Malinaw itong nakita sa kaso ng transgender na si Jennifer Laude na pinatay ni Scott Pemberton, isang Amerikanong sundalo na nakabase sa Subic. Si Pemberton ay kasalukuyang nakakulong ngunit nananawagan pa rin ang pamilya Laude ng hustisya.

Hindi sa mamamayan Pinirmahan ang EDCA noong Abril 28, 2014, ilang oras bago dumating ang pangulo ng Amerika, na si Barack Obama sa Pilipinas para sa kanyang state visit. Malinaw na pagmamadali ito upang muling makapasok ang pwersang Amerikano sa bansa at pagtatangka ng Amerika na ipalaganap ang kanyang kapang-

ONCE IS ENOUGH. After the UP Baguio Student Summit, UP Student Regent Mico Pangalangan along with UPB students lit candles to commemorate the third death anniversary of Kristel Tejada who took her life due to the high cost of education. photo by LEAH PEREZ

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Filipino women workers worse off under Aquino - IBON IBON FOUNDATION

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he plight of Filipino women workers worsened un-

Kaliwang Sulok: Sa gitna ng mga Turista kuha ni DIVINE LORAINE PENAFLOR

der Aquino more than one hundred years after the first International Women’s Day was celebrated, said research group IBON. According to the group, the government refuses to significantly raise wages and instead promotes neoliberal policies such as labor flexibilization and contractualization. This has only created further job insecurity and poor quality work and intensified the exploitation that women workers in the country face today.

IBON found that the wage gap between men and women remained the same and even worsened under Aquino. Women working in agriculture made 13% less (Php135.85) than their male counterparts (Php156.32) in 2010 but this wage gap barely decreased to 12% (Php166.92 versus Php190.47, respectively) in 2014 . Worse, however, is the wage gap between women and men employed in manufacturing which went up from 7.3% in 2010 to 11% in 2014.

The group observed that women working in the infor-

mal sector increased from 41.9% in 2010 to 43.6% of the total number of unpaid family and self-employed workers in 2014. The percentage of unpaid women family workers rose from 55.8% of total unpaid family workers in 2010 to 57.0% in 2014. The portion of self-employed women also went up from 36.6% to 38.4% within the same period.

IBON also noted that the number of working children increased from 2.1 million in 2010 to 2.2 million 2014. Girls comprised 37% of working children in 2014 with the majority working in agriculture.

It has been more than a century since International Working Women’s Day was established as women workers were fighting against oppression and inequality, demanded better pay, shorter working hours and voting rights. Today, Filipino women are still struggling for better pay and working conditions and a better future for the nation and their children.

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UP BAGUIO OUTCROP TOMO 42 ISYU 3 PEBRERO-MARSO 2016

From South to North, Manilakbayan calls to end militarization, large-scale mining JOHN REY DAVE AQUINO

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rom October 26 to November 22, 2015, Lumads of Mindanao joined the Manilakbayan 2015 as a protest against the militarization of indigenous communities and

large-scale mining projects conducted by mining companies in Mindanao.

Lumads called on the administration to stop these human rights violations but the government is playing blind and deaf as military and paramilitary elements continue to drive the Lumads away from

their ancestral lands.

Alibando Tingkas, a Grade 3 student of Salugpongan Ta ‘Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center, was shot dead by a member of Alamara paramilitary group, last January 17, while walking home from school with two companions.

An Alamara member reported-

ly fired two shots at them.

According to the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), more than 900 Lumads and peasants were in the evacuation facility of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines compound in Davao City last February 24 when Alamara burned the said facility. Furthermore, five Lumads, including three children, sustained burns in the said incident.

Another incident happened last September 1 wherein three Lumad leaders were killed by members of another paramilitary group, Magahat-Bagani.

The violations of IP rights continue even up to their ancestral lands. According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the mountains of Region XIII CARAGA are rich in gold, copper and chromite.

Mining companies such as the Shenzhou Mining Corporation and the Marc Ventures Mining and Development Corporation are based here, extracting these resources in ancestral

lands.

IPs from Cordillera, Ilocos region and Cagayan Valley joined the Lumads at Mendiola Bridge in Manila with their Martsa Amianan as part of the People’s Caravan Against APEC and Imperialist Globalization (PCAIG). According to Jill Carino of the Cordillera People’s Alliance, this event bridges two tribes in their common aim for peace.

“The Aquino government’s policies that open up mineral lands to mining investments jeopardize the life, rights, and land of many indigenous peoples communities, especially in Mindanao,” said Piya Macliing Malayao of Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP).

IPs are greatly dependent of their ancestral lands, but while mining companies continue their mining projects, they are in danger of losing their lands due to the government’s “blind” eyes and “deaf” ears.

Summit unifies calls for a green campus from page 2 TULOY-TULOY ANG LABAN. Noong Marso 11, ginanap ang Sunduan 2016, isang kilos protesta mula sa mga ng estudyante ng iba’t ibang unibersidad dito sa Baguio at Benguet. kuha ni LEAH PEREZ

Bicol Student commits suicide after removal of 4Ps scholarship LEAH PEREZ

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nother student, Jessiven Lagatic of Centra Bicol State University of Agriculture, committed suicide due to his removal of scholarship.

Being a recipient of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Scholarship Grants under the Expanded Students’ Grant-in-Aid for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA), he would have had his Php7,000 – Php8,000 tuition fee covered by the ESGP-PA, which prioritizes the beneficiaries of 4Ps to receive sufficient funds for college education.

However, according to Lagatic’s family, he had failing grades, leading the administration to advise him of his situation which may lead to his removal from the scholarship.

Nonetheless, there were no formal documents, which will

remove him of his scholarship, were presented to Lagatic’s family. This misinformation lead him to enrol for another semester wherein he found out that his scholarship was revoked.

One of Five “Under the Aquino administration, Lagatic is already the fifth student who died because of our education crisis,” Ned Lloyd Tuguinay, member of Alliance of Concerned Students (ACS) said in a protest action held on February 12, 2016 at the UPB canteen.

Just last year, students Rosanna Sanfuego of Cagayan Valley, Jhoemary Azaula of Quezon City, and Nilna Habibun of Zamboanga Sibugay committed suicide due to the commercialization of education.

In 2013, University of the Philippines Manila student, Kristel Tejada, also took her

life due to the failure to settle her matriculation in time for her examinations.

Doorway to another death According to a report from Kabataan Partylist, about 400 colleges and universities are again planning to increase tuition rates in 2016.

Student groups then geared for national walkouts on February 24 and March 11 against further commercialization of education and to demand justice for the continuous deaths brought by the current education system.

2013, while Native Plants Committee head Dr. Teodora Balancod shared her sentiments on protecting what is precious and unique to the community.

In addition, National Service Training Program (NSTP) chairperson Prof. Enrico Jugadora and Student Relations Officer (SRO) Ruel Caricativo along with the University Student Council (USC) and the Council of Leaders (CL) lay on the table the projects that had been accomplished by the student body in the past year.

“The Green Campus campaign will be a success if we focus on the attitude and behavior of the students more than the policies and programs implemented,” says Dr. Erlinda Palaganas, Director for Student Affairs and head of the Green Campus Committee(GCC). “More than drawing up a vision, we need to empower the students to step up, be proactive, and make this their

way of life.”

Dr. Palaganas, along with the GCC which is composed of faculty members Dr. Charita Delos Reyes, Reymart Lagunero, and Jhoan Medrano, USC environmental desk head Gio Bautista, and CL chairperson Bazoo De Jesus, began the preparations for the summit last semester.

In the coming weeks, the committee will meet upon the outputs of the participants in the summit and work towards drafting a concrete action plan for the campaign. They will also be coordinating with other formations and organizations in planning to mount projects and activities that advocate environmental consciousness.

Launched in 2013, the Green Campus campaign is being revived under the administration of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA).

Korte Suprema: EDCA, hindi labag sa Konstitusyon from page 2 yarihan sa Asya.

Nakasaad sa 1987 Konstitusyon, Article XVIII, Section 25, na hindi maaaring magkaroon ng mga base, pwersa o

pasilidad na militar ang mga dayuhang bansa sa Pilipinas.

Maaari lamang itong pahintulutan sa isang kasunduang (‘treaty’) sasang-ayunan ng

Senado. Ilang indibidwal at grupo ang nagpahayag ng kanilang pagkadismaya sa desisyon ng Korte, gaya ng Kabataan Partylist.

4 | EDITORYAL

UP BAGUIO OUTCROP TOMO 42 ISYU 3 PEBRERO-MARSO 2016

FOR SALE: Students of the Philippines I

t seems like everybody has a price I wonder how they sleep at night When the sales come first and truth comes second In the phenomenon called neoliberalism, humanity is either a commodity or a consumer while society is nothing but a vast market place.

In the Philippines, the Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) program and the Roadmap to Public Higher Education Reforms (RPHER) are clear examples of a neoliberal school reform gone bad.

Under the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (R.A. 10533), the old 10-grade basic education system (six in elementary school and four in high school) will be replaced with a 12-grade system (with an additional two years of senior high school) plus required kindergarten.

Behind the catchword of “catching up” with global standards, the aim of Aquino’s K-12 program is to align the country’s educational system more fully with the global capitalist system and to compete better with other underdeveloped countries by producing a huge reserve supply of semi-skilled labor for the world market.

On the simplistic notion that Fil-

ipinos should join the global K-12 bandwagon because everyone else is already on it, they disregarded other studies that show no clear linkage between the quantity of learning time and the quality of the learning process and facilities, plus, of course, the fees.

Privatization, a silent yet fast concept biting and emptying the pockets of the students comes from neoliberalism. Neoliberal economic policies such as RPHER have led to the deregulation of tuition fees and a slash in public financing for State Colleges and Universities (SUCs) nationwide, leading to their effective privatization. This includes Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEI) where 451 colleges and universities out of 1,800 raised tuition and other fees (TOF) last school year alone.

These fees have been rising every year over the past decade, negatively impacting the lives of millions of working class youth and their families who make up the majority of the population, and who bear the heaviest burden of nearly constant price hikes in other basic goods and services.

However, the burden must not be on the students and their guardians but

on the shoulders of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in particular, as the main administrative body responsible for such matters.

CHED has been weak in the enforcement of its own recommendations, such as the need for universities to consult all stakeholders - students, parents, faculty and staff - before even attempting to raise tuition fees. It has remained silent on issues students have brought to its attention, including violations of the student democratic

Its focus is on delivering education not as a social service but as a marketable commodity

rights, transparency in tuition fees, and its continuous increase.

The sad reality of the Philippine Education system stands in stark contrast to the spirit of the Constitution (Art. XIV, Sec. 1) which states, unequivocally, that access to quality Education, at all levels, is a right of every citizen of this country. A right to be actively protected and promoted by the State, as a public service crucial for genuine economic development and an enlightened society.

Rather than ensure universal basic education, neoliberal school reform is focused on the corporatization of higher education, and on re-gearing of primary and secondary schools to supply the skilled labor needs of global capitalism. It pays lip service to education as a universal right, but its focus is not on delivering education as a social service but as a marketable commodity.

Commercialized education has long been a coping mechanism for many poor countries, but neoliberal school reforms from the 1980s onwards have made commercialization far worse.

Apparently, truth, relevance, and accessibility of education come second after education and the students’ sale.

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Opisyal na Pahayagan ng mga Mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas-Baguio

Punong Patnugot Leah Perez Kawaksing Patnugot Ellainemor San Pascual Tagapamahalang Patnugot Divine Loraine Penaflor Patnugot sa Balita Angela Valerio Patnugot sa Kultura Danna Llaine Ruiz Kawani Samuel Harrison Cerrudo John Rey Dave Aquino Panghaliling Kawani Paul Nicholas Soriano Quimberlyn Ranchez William Laureta

Miyembro ng College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) at Solidaridad, Alyansa ng mga Pahayagang Pangkampus sa UP

upboutcrop@gmail.com Facebookpage: UP Baguio Outcrop Twitter account:: UPB_Outcrop Unang Palapag ng Alumni Center Building, UP Baguio, Gov. Pack Road

KULTURA | 5

UP BAGUIO OUTCROP TOMO 42 ISYU 3 PEBRERO-MARSO 2016

Langit, Lupa, at mga Naglalangit-langitan PAUL NICHOLAS SORIANO

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wian ng mga kulay Mga bundok na tila pinatag ng kasakiman Makuha lamang ang mga kayamanan sa kalaliman Mula sa magaang pagsikat ng araw, may mangilan-ngilan lamang na mga bahay ang makikita habang nasa byahe. Maya-maya, bigla ko na lang naramdaman ang pagbigat ng aking pakiramdam. Nakita ko kasi ang mga bundok, na bukod sa nawawalan na ng korte ay literal din na wala ng kulay—tila mga abong galing sa isang malawak na pagsunog. Dahil daw ito sa pagpapasabog sa mga bundok bilang unang hakbang ng open pit mining ng Oceana Gold Corporation. Tumambad din sa amin ang barikadang ginawa ng Oceana Gold Co. para bakuran yung mga parte na pinagmiminahan nila.

Bente kwatro oras na walang tigil ang kanilang operasyon. Sa katunayan, tunnelling method na ang ginagamit nila ngayon, na talaga namang mapanganib kasi binubutas ang lupa para mas madaling makuha ang mga deposito sa loob ng bundok.

Sa mas positibong banda, masaya kaming sinalubong at pinakain ng mga taong naninirahan pagdating doon.

Akala mo wala silang probemang mabigat na kinahaharap. Sila ay mga miyembro ng Samahang Pangkarapatan ng Katutubong Magsasaka at Manggagawa Inc. (SAPAKKMMI) na pangunahing tumututol sa Oceana Gold Co. Matapos kumain, agad kaming isinama ng Chairman na si Kuya Arthur na ikutin ang mining area. Sakay ng kanyang van, isa-isa niyang itinuro sa amin ang iba’t-ibang mga epekto ng pagmimina sa lugar. Pinakita niya sa amin ang mga natutuyong puno’t mga halaman, at mga ilog na hindi na raw nila mapagkuhanan ng kabuhayan dahil sa kontaminasyon ng

putik at iba’t-ibang kemikal.

“Piktyuran na ninyo ‘yang mga bundok. Baka sa pagbalik niyo, bato na lang din yan.”

Mahirap limutin yung mga sinabi sa amin ni Kuya Arthur. Simple lang kung tutuusin yung sinabi niya pero dama ko sa kanyang boses ang halo-halong emosyon dahil sa kinahaharap na isyu sa kanilang barangay.

Ilang beses niyang inihinto yung sasakyan para mas makita namin ang bawat kalagayan nila. Isang beses ng paghinto, itinuro niya sa amin ang dating kinatitirikan ng kanyang bahay na pinatanggal daw ng korporasyon kasi maaapektuhan ng mining site.

“Sandali lang akong nagbakasyon, pagbalik ko, wala na ‘yung bahay ko.”

“E magkano naman pong binigay sa inyo bilang kapalit?” tanong ko. Nakalulungkot nang sinabi niyang wala raw.

Hindi naman daw kasi lahat nabibigyan ng tamang disturbance and compensation fees. Kung mayroon man, hindi pa buo.

Habang papalayo ang nararating namin ay parang siya ring paglayo ng inaasahan kong abot-kamay na masasayang karanasan. Gayundin ang pag-igting ng mga naghahalong emosyon ng galit, pagka-awa at lungkot lalo na nang huminto ulit si Kuya Arthur. Nakita namin ang isang malaking bundok ng mga bato. Sa tabi nito ay nakita namin ang parehong itsura ng bundok pero may nakatapal na manipis na lupa sa ibabaw. Paglingon namin sa iba pang bahagi, makikita na mayroon na rin nakalatag na net. Sa net daw na pagagapangin ang isang uri ng halaman para naman daw magmukang natural ulit ang bundok.

Nagpatuloy ang pakikipagkwentuhan namin kay Kuya Arthur. Doon nila ibinahagi sa amin na naglabas ang Oceana Gold Co. ng isang-pahinang

pahayag na nagsasabi na pinapaunlad nila ang Didipio. Nakapagpatayo raw sila ng health center, high school buildings, barangay hall, at road reconstructions. Wala kaming nakita ni-isa sa mga nabanggit. Kahit ang mga daan ay hindi naisasaayos kaya naman may mga kaso rin ng akisdente sa pagpapalit-palit ng mga ruta.

Hindi yata maganda ang pagdidikit ng langit at lupa O sadyang lubos lang na nanganganib itong kalupaan Sa kamay ng mga naglalangit-langitan?

Hanggang 2030 pa raw ang kontrata ng Oceana Gold Co. sa Didipio. Pero sa kasalukuyan, sabay sa pagsasagawa ng mga anti-mining campaigns sa lugar ang siya ring muling pag-apila ng korporasyon para marenew yung kontrata nila.

Naisip-isip ko, hindi ito ang langit na inaasahan ko. Mas nangingibabaw na kasi sa isip ko ang imahe ng isang malaking hukay na unti-unting ibinabaon ang pag-asa at magandang kinabukasan ng Didipio.

Nakalulungkot, nakagagalit pero higit pa roon, hindi dapat na hayaang mapunta ang kayamanan natin sa kamay ng mga naglalangit-langitan— silang mga taong masayang nahihiga sa pera at ginto na hindi naman dapat sa kanila.

Sa huli, aking napagtanto, hindi namin inasahan na magiging sobrang mabigat ang nangyari dito. Ang paglalakbay sa lugar na tila sumisisigaw ng tulong sa gitna ng mekanikal na ingay na dulot ng pagmimina, ang pakikinig sa mga istorya ng mga tao na deka-dekada nang nakatira doon, at ang iba pang mga bagay na labas sa aming mga karanasan bilang mga kabataang hindi sanay sa ganito.

iginuhit ni LEAH PEREZ

anaw ko ang tila pagdidikit ng langit at lupa Ng bundok at ng mga ulap At ako’y nasa gitna Sakay sa ibabaw ng isang umaandar na behikulo Ni hindi ako makasulat Pilit na inimbak ang mga salita hanggang sa ngayon Na makahawak na ako ng panulat at papel Hindi ako sanay sa ganito pero inasahan na ng lahat na mangyayari ito kaya hinanda ko na ang sarili ko sa paglalakbay sa ilalim ng araw, ang pakikipagsiksikan sa loob ng mga sasakyang tila deka-dekada nang bumabiyahe sa kalumaan, at ang iba pang mga bagay na labas sa aking mga karanasan bilang kabataang hindi naman lumaki sa ganitong komunidad.

Hindi na ako nagkasya sa huling van na sinakyan namin papunta sa Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya. Kaya naman sa ibabaw na lang ako pumwesto. Kasabay ng pagtitig at pagtanaw ko sa kapaligirang unti-unti nang hinuhubog ng modernisasyon, ay ang paglalaro ng iba’t ibang palaisipan tungkol sa lugar na aming pupuntahan. Dala na rin siguro ng mga kwento sa amin ng guide na galing Amianan Salakniban-Kordilyera na si Kuya Ampi, tungkol sa lumalalang komersyalisasyon sa Didipio.

Pilit daw ipinagdidiinan ng Oceana Gold Corporation., na sila ang susi sa kaunlaran Didipio.

Maya-maya pa’y unti-unti ko nang nasilayan Isang paraisong sapilitang binaba-

6 | KULTURA

UP BAGUIO OUTCROP TOMO 42 ISYU 3 PEBRERO-MARSO 2016

ERROR 404: Development Not Found from page 1

tems, the one fully implemented in four out of eight campuses, is SAIS, the system used for the holding student information.

to work overtime during enrollment periods.

Under eUP

Pahayag CEGP deplores campus press freedom attacks in UP Diliman The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), as the national center for the advancement of campus press freedom, denounces the recent attacks on campus press freedom in the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman.

Last February 16, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) organized an event at the UP Bahay ng Alumni where Liberal Party (LP) candidates were also present. LP supporters and UP Diliman Police (UPDP) harassed members of Tinig ng Plaridel (TNP), the student publication of UP College of Mass Communication, and Union of Journalists of the Philippines-UP Diliman (UJP-UPD).

According to TNP, UP campus journalists were supposed to cover NAPC’s event “Our New Social Contract: Panawagan para Lubusin ang mga Nasimulang Reporma” but were barred by the UPDP to enter the venue for “security reasons” even after asserting that they are members of the campus press. They were also “verbally abused, called out and jeered by the LP crowd.”

CEGP views this incident as a violation to campus press freedom and to the people’s freedom of information. The Guild condemns the harassment and treatment of campus journalists as a security threat.

Meanwhile, Allan Pangilinan, the Students Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Committee chairperson and councilor of the University Student Council (USC) and a local affiliate of LP-Akbayan, posted on his Facebook account his intention to abolish the student publication fee for the Philippine Collegian, the official weekly student publication of UP Diliman.

Pangilinan also accused the Philippine Collegian as a propaganda machinery of a political party in UP Diliman.

The student publication fee is the lifeblood of student publications and the non-mandatory collection of the student publication fee is a violation of the rights of the campus press.

It has been the struggle of student publications in the country for the mandatory collection of the student publication fee. Campus journalists until today are staunchly struggling for this right and it is an insult to those who fought and died in the name of campus press freedom to take away what is rightfully for the students and their publication.

For over 90 years, the Philippine Collegian gives alternative viewpoint on various issues of students and other sectors of society rarely given the focus in the dominant media. It is the commitment of the Collegian and other members of the campus press in the country to give social reality a face and voice.

The campus press is a veritable pillar of students’ democratic rights and the disrespect of the rights of campus journalists and student publications is appalling. It is alarming for the CEGP that these violations happened just in a week in UP Diliman and the Guild deplores such attacks to the campus press.

The CEGP, as the oldest, widest and only-existing alliance of tertiary student publications in the Asia-Pacific, and with its more than 750 member publications challenge the LP and Pangilinan to issue their apologies to the campus press for their outright violations to the rights of the campus press, not just in UP but in the whole country

Aside from SAIS, eUP has 11 more information systems which are the Financial Management and Information System (FMIS), Human Resource and information System (HRIS), Supplies, Property, and Campus Management Information System (SPCMIS), Executive Information System (EIS), Legal, Case and Issue Management System, Intellectual Property and Business Development Information System, Medical Records and Hospital Information System, Learning Management System, Document Tracking System, Project Management System and Library Information System.

The first five information systems, SAIS, SPCMIS, HRIS, EIS, and FMIS, are the core information systems of the eUP. Among the said sys-

Unknown Territories Due to developments already reached by the homegrown database Computer Registration System (CRS), UP engineers, experts, and computer scientists expressed strong opposition on eUP; but PAEP still pursued the said project.

ERPs are softwares that are used by businessmen for management of big businesses.

According to studies, so-called ERP softwares, such as Oracle, when implemented in universities, have very high possibilities of failing. One reason for the failures documented in education institutions is that, according to UP Kilos Na, “university administrators often have no idea of what they are getting into.”

MAY MGA AKDA KA BANG GUSTO MAILATHALA? Bukas ang sekyon na Dugong Isko para sa sinumang indibidwal na nais magbigay ng kanyang akda sa mga pangyayaring nakakaapekto sa ating buhay estudyante mula sa loob o labas ng pamantasan.

Magsadya lamang sa opisina ng Outcrop o ipasa sa upboutcrop@gmail.com kalakip ang iyong pangalan o pen name at contact number.

*republished from Daluyong (Balintuna 2010)

KULTURA | 7

UP BAGUIO OUTCROP TOMO 42 ISYU 3 PEBRERO-MARSO 2016

Tuloy po kayo, ‘wag mahiya LEAH PEREZ AT DANNA LLAINE RUIZ

I

sa sa mga katangian ng mga Pilipino na lubos nating ipinagmamalaki ay ang ating pagiging magiliw sa mga panauhin. Kinakasaya natin kapag sinasabihan tayo ng ganito.

Tanda ko pa ang ilan naming diskusyon sa klase patungkol dito -- elementarya pa lang hanggang ngayong kolehiyo. Noong elementarya, sinasabi na sa amin na ang isang tradisyunal na pamilyang Pilipino ay buong pusong tumatanggap ng mga bisita, na minsan pa nga’y sobra na sa kakayahan nila ang ibinibigay o kaya naman binabago saglit ang nakasanayan para makibagay sa bisita. Kunwari ay itatago natin ang mga lumang gamit at ilalabas ang mga bagong baso, plato, kubyertos na regalo pa sa kasal nila Mama at Papa, sa tuwing alam na may bisitang darating para naman maramdaman ng mga bisita na pinapahalagahan sila. Mabuti raw iyon kasi natutuwa ng sobra sa atin ang mga dayuhan.

Kung ngayon namang kolehiyo, tinatalakay kadalasan sa klase ang mainit nating pagtanggap na mga Pilipino sa mga foreign students o exchange students. Sa ibang bansa daw kasi, kapag pumasok ang isang Pilipino sa isang klase na sabihin na nating puno ng mga Hapon, magsasalita lang sila ng Hapon at ang Pilipino ang dapat na mag-adjust. Malayo ito sa kasalukuyan nating kalagayan na kapag isang foreign stu-

dent ay pumasok sa ating klase, ang guro at ang mga estudyante ay biglang magsasalita sa Ingles para lang sa kanya.

Ngunit, kung titignan, hindi lang sa mga klase at libro makikita ang pagiging magiliw natin. Ngayong Nobyembre nga lang, naganap ang Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit sa Maynila. At bukod pa sa mainit nating pagsalubong sa mga dayuhan, mabilis din nating nagawa ang pagtakip sa mga squatter areas.

Nangyari na rin ito noong taong 2012. Nagkaroon ng isang internasyunal na komperensya tungkol sa kahirapan dito sa ating bansa. Naglagay ng pader ang gobyerno mula sa paliparan hanggang sa kalunsuran ng Maynila na siyang nagsilbing panakip sa mga ayaw nilang makita ng mga bisita. Eto ang mga estero at isang sapa na puno ng basura--sinyales ng mga kakulangan ng serbisyo ng gobyerno. Ayon sa tagapagsalita ng pangulo na si Ricky Carandang, “kahit anong bansa naman ay gagawa ng ‘pagsasaayos‘ bago dumating ang mga bisita.”

Nitong nakaraang taon lamang, bumisita ang Santo Papa at daan-daang ding mga bata at pamilya na nakatira sa mga kalsada ang di-umano’y itinago ng Department of Social Welfare and Development o DSWD sa Chateu Royale, isang resort sa Nasugbu, Batangas.

Ayon sa mga imbestigasyon, lumalabas na sila ay dinala dito para daw sa isang ‘training‘ na nakabatay sa proyekto ng DSWD na ‘‘modified conditional cash transfer program“.

Ilan lamang ito sa mga pagkakataong hinihikayat natin ang mga turista para pumunta sa atin pero kasabay nito ang pagsasawalang-bahala sa ating mga kababayan sa likod ng mga pader, sa likod ng mga programa na ginagawa lamang tuwing may mga dayuhang darating. Para bagang ipinapakita na, tayong mga Pilipino ay kinakahiya mismo ang kapwa niya Pilipino. Sino ba naman ang ating masisisi, hospitable nga raw tayo lalo na sa pagdating sa ibang mga lahi.

Kinokondena nila ang ginawa ng dating unang ginang na si Imelda Marcos dahil sa pagtatago niya sa mga iskwater noong ginanap sa Maynila ang Miss Universe Pageant noong 1974. Ang kaso nga lang, pauli-ulit pa rin itong ginagawa hanggang ngayon sa kadahilanang tila patuloy na tinatalikuran ng mga awtoridad dahil hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa ito masolusyunan -- kahirapan.

Isa sa mga katangian nating mga Pilipino kung saan kilala tayo ay ang ating pagiging magiliw sa mga bisita natin.

Tanda ko pa ang ilan naming diskusyon sa klase -- elementarya pa lang hanggang ngayong kolehiyo. Ngunit ayon na rin sa diskusyon namin noong elementarya, oo, mainit ang pagtanggap natin sa mga bisita at itong nakaugalian nating ito ay isang katangian na itinatangi nating mga Pilipino.

Ngunit ang ating pagkaPilipino, na siyang ugat ng lahat ng lahat ng katangiang ating ipinagmamalaki, ay masusukat dapat sa ating pagmamalasakit sa ating mga kapwang Pilipino.

Mabuti raw iyon kasi natutuwa ng sobra sa atin ang mga dayuhan.

“Tuloy po kayo, nakatago na lahat ng aming ikinakahiya.”

“Tuloy po kayo, nakatago na lahat ng nakakahiya.”

“Tuloy po kayo, kailan pa ba kayo nahiya?

Hayaan ninyong kantahan ko kayo JOHN REY DAVE AQUINO

U

.P. naming mahal Pamantasang komersyal Hawak ko noon ang katibayan na nakapasa ako sa University of the Philippines: ang aking acceptance letter. Matagal ko na rin kasing pangarap na makapasok sa UP, na makita si Oble araw-araw, na maging ‘Iskolar ng Bayan.’ May naka-staple pang ibang papel sa acceptance letter ko: instructions para sa enrollment. Napatingin ako sa bandang ibaba ng sulat at nakita ang babayaran kong tuition: P16,659.50.

Sumunod kong tiningnan ang instructions para sa Socialized Tuition System o STS. Sabi, mabibigyan ako ng diskwento ayon sa “socio-economic status” ng pamilya ko. Bago pa man ako mag-UPCAT ay alam ko nang may babayaran akong tuition.

Pinangarap kong maging Isko pero kailanman ay hindi ko pinangarap ang magbayad ng mataas na tuition para sa edukasyon. Nag-aral ako sa isang pampublikong paaralan noong elementarya kaya wala akong binayaran. Isa naman akong full scholar noong high school sa isang pribadong paaralan, kaya naman, sa totoo lang, nakakatawang isipin na kung mage-enroll ako sa UP ay magbabayad kami ng tuition.

Ang yaman namin Sana’y wag nang kunin Sinimulan ko ang aking aplikasyon

para sa diskwento ng STS. Sinagot ko ang mga tanong: ilang mobile gadgets ang meron kami, ilang sasakyan, ilang television set at kung anu-ano pa. Inilagay ko rin ang taunang income namin na mababa lamang dahil si Papa lang naman ang may trabaho sa’min.

Sa araw ng enrollment noong unang semestre, may dalang pera si Mama na pambayad para sa tuition ko. Nakikipagkwentuhan siya sa isa pang nanay at nalaman naming lumabas na pala ang resulta ng aplikasyon sa STS. Tiningnan namin ang resulta: “After evaluating your ST application, you will receive 80% tuition discount when you

unti-unti na siyang nagiging ginto at pilak, tila nagiging simbolo ng komersyalisasyon at pribatisasyon ng edukasyon.

enroll in the 1st Semester AY 2015-16.”

Bracket D. Eighty percent ang magiging discount ko. Natuwa ako (at pati na rin ang nanay ko) pero sa pagtingin ko ngayon pero napag-isipan kong pampalubag-loob lang naman ang STS. Sa halip na libre ang edukasyon sa UP na isang state university at sinusuportahan ng gobyerno, binibigyan tayo ng “discount.” Oo nga, may discount pero kailangan pa rin nating pumila sa Cash Office para magbayad.

Noong enrollment nga ng ikalawang semestre ay mabigat ang loob ko na magbayad ng tuition, pero kailangan.

Hindi naman kasi ako tatanggapin ng UP kung hindi ako magbabayad. Kung pwede nga lang akong mapunta sa Bracket E2, pero kakaunti lang talaga ang pinapalad na mabigyan ng 100% discount sa tuition na may kasamang stipend.

Sa mataas na bayarin Kami man ay dumaing Nakasaad nga sa “handbook of academic information” na ang tuition na binabayaran ng isang mag-aaral sa UP ay mas mababa pa nga sa halaga ng edukasyon sa unibersidad pero dahil nga tayo ay nag-aaral sa isang state university, nakakatanggap tayo ng subsidiya mula sa pambansang gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng STS, na diskwento pala ang ibig sabihin.

Natupad na nga ang pangarap ko na mag-aral sa UP. Isa na akong ganap na Isko at lagi ko nang nakikita si Oble pero habang tumatagal, para bang nagbabago ang anyo niya sa akin-- unti-unti na siyang nagiging ginto at pilak, tila nagiging simbolo ng komersyalisasyon at pribatisasyon ng edukasyon.

‘Di rin pakikinggan aming hiling ‘Di ba pakikinggan aming hiling?

Isa nang kasinungalingan ang bansag na Iskolar ng Bayan. Kaya naman kapag nakakabasa ako ng mga reklamo ng mga tao patungkol sa mga estudyanteng gumagawa ng paraan para bumaba ang tuition fees, na ang babastos daw, walang utang na loob at iba pa ay napapa-iling na lang ako. Hindi na kasi buwis ng masa ang nagpapa-aral sa atin kundi perang pinaghirapan ng mga magulang natin. Hindi na tayo dapat tinatawag na Isko at Iska dahil wala nang laman ang mga katagang ito. Bansag na dati’y pinangarap kong maikabit sa akin, pero ngayon ay parang ayaw ko na.

Kaya naman gusto ko kayong kantahan: U.P. naming mahal Pamantasang komersyal Ang yaman namin Sana’y wag nang kunin Sa mataas na bayarin ‘Di rin pakikinggan aming hiling ‘Di ba pakikinggan aming hiling?

8 | LATHALAIN

UP BAGUIO OUTCROP TOMO 42 ISYU 3 PEBRERO-MARSO 2016

NCIP’s protection of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

Paper Shield

ANGELA VALERIO AND ANNA MARIE JUDE

N

CIP, the protector of the IPs, the supposed defender of their rights, but looking at him. He doesn’t defend neither does he care. He is a knight, who existed just for the sake of existence. He is made of the very same paper that created him, a knight of paper.

No, a knight in paper only, despite his solemn promise to be person of action.

His Oath Under the light of the Indigenous Rights Act of 1997, the knight knelt as he pledged his oath, mandating him to “protect and promote the interests and well-being of the Indigenous People (IP) with due regard to their belief, customs, traditions and institutions.” He was directed to serve as the primary government agency responsible for the formulation and implementations of pertinent and appropriate policies and programs to carry out the policies set forth in the new law.

With that, he rose as the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the knight-in-‘shining’ armor assigned to defend and protect the indigenous peoples of the Philippines.

His title entails protection and defense of the indigenous peoples’ ways of life from anything that would threaten their community and culture. He made it so that he is to be consulted with free, prior, and informed Consent (FPIC) before any non-indigenous entity can visit or conduct projects within their communities, as he is also responsible for the projects or policies conducted.

Among his more menial tasks is to facilitate their Certificates of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) and the Certificate of Land Title (CALT). Both of these are issued as he recognizes the rights and ownership of Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICC) or the indigenous peoples.

However, his Oath seems to be nothing but ink on paper, as his words

echo empty in the valleys and mountains of the indigenous people.

Paper Knight Since 2010, there have been 68 unauthorized killings of the IPs. The most notable incident, due to the spread of news by the media, is the Lumad killings in Mindanao and Surigao del Sur. Even before this, there were 84 reported cases of attacks on community schools affecting Lumad children’s education.

Killings aren’t the only things indigenous peoples have to worry about now that the Knight of Paper is nowhere to be found; according to a report from Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KATRIBU), 2,262 IPs has evacuated their homes which are a result of the heightened imposition of military and paramilitary forces in Mindanao.

In the early morning of September 1, 2015, members of the Manobo community in Km. 16 Sitio Hanayan in Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur, were attacked by armed men. During their dialogue with Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairman Chito Gacson, Lumad representatives identified the armed men as the military and the paramilitary of the Philippine Government.

During this encounter, the Alternative Learning Center for Livelihood and Development (ALCADEV) Executive director, Emerito Samarca, was found dead in one of the classrooms of ALCADEV. Meanwhile, Dionel Campos, Lumad leader and chairperson of Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang Sumusunod (MAPASU) as well as fellow Lumad leader and MAPASU member Juvello Sinzo, were shot dead in front of the community who were forcefully gathered in the basketball court of KM 15. These three people were devoted defenders of their culture and ancestral land. No justice was meted out; the military denied any connections to the killings.

The paper knight neither protects nor defends, and does not even con-

demn the actions of those officially armed forces.

Extension NCIP’s ignorance The knight’s passivity extends towards the north. Even in the past, IP leaders in the Cordillera Administrative region such as Marcus Bangit of the Cordillera People’s alliance, as well as Albert Teredano, and William Bugatti, were killed while trying to defend their land against destructive mining, logging and energy projects. However, no justice was served.

Mining, logging, and energy projects are widespread in the Cordillera Region.

Most of these companies have claimed to give free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) to the indigenous peoples involved, but many IPs were never informed, or given incentives beforehand.

There was a case in August 2014 where the indigenous people of Tukucan and Eheb in Ifugao withdrew their signature from a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and all other agreements with development company Quadriver, through a letter of retraction submitted to the NCIP. Despite this, the Paper Knight and his officials disregarded the letter of retraction and pushed forward with the MOA signing, allowing the projects to continue.

The knight in paper armor has defied and violated his own mandate.

The people of Kapangan in Benguet also experienced their decisions being disregarded after filing a petition. The Cordillera Hydroelectric Corporation planned a project that would adversely affect people living in Balacbac, Cuba, and Beleng-Belis, as well as areas in Kibungan. The indigenous peoples living in these areas sent a letter opposing the project, but the Paper Knight never got the memo. Instead, he gave COHECO the go signal to the hydro project.

The knight himself violated the licensing of FPIC and allowed their territories to be taken by the large energy and mining companies, leaving IP communities surprised to find their land being manipulated without their approval. Consultations were not made, nor were their protests heard out. Again the paper knight manifests his inability to uphold his oath.

Shredding the Paper The inaction of the NCIP in protecting and defending the IPs has led to numerous protest actions and call for its abolishment. The knight in paper armor has defied and violated his own mandate. The knight never listened to the voice of the indigenous people of the country. Even though his officers and supposed protectors are IPs themselves, they served as the key to various activities that has done only damage to their land, environment, and culture.

NCIP, the protector of the IPs, the supposed defender of their rights, but looking at him… He doesn’t defend neither does he care. He is a knight, who existed just for the sake of existence.

He is made of the very same paper that created him, a knight of paper. Now, it’s time to rid this burden of its existence. Time to rip the traitor paper knight in half and tear it into the paper it really is.