4 U.P. News
january 2013
UPM tasked to draft IRR for health research bill
Forum tackles LGBT issues Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo
Jazmin S. Camero
University of Mindanao has been tasked to draw up the implementing rules and regulations for the proposed Philippine National Health Research S y s tem (PN H R S ) l aw r ecen tl y passed on third and final reading by the House of Representatives. The measure seeks to promote scientific researches meant to strengthen the country’s health care program. Principal authors of House Bill 6735 are Reps. Juan Edgardo Angara (Lone District, Aurora), Joseph Emilio Abaya (1st District, Cavite), Angelo Palmones (Party-list, Agham), Lani MercadoRevilla (2nd District, Cavite), Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City) and Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. (Party-list, Abante Mindanao). Angara said it is important to build the country’s capability for research and development because it can fuel the necessary innovation that will lead to a responsive and efficient health care system. “The country must provide for a favorable research environment wherein government agencies, nongovernment organizations, public and private hospitals, academic institutions and private agencies can optimize their research activities,” Angara said. Pa l m o n e s s a i d t h e P N H R S i s a framework of cooperation and resource sharing of the core agencies and stakeholders in health research anchored on the principles of inclusiveness, participation, quality, equity, efficiency and effectiveness. “The bill will promote good governance in research towards high performing and ethical health research organizations and to establish a realistic system that shall strengthen national and international networking partnerships for health research development,” Palmones said. U n d e r t h e p r o p o s e d l aw, t h e PNHRS is institutionalized within the umbrella of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), the national coordinating body for health research. The PNHRS was initiated through a memorandum of understanding between the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Health in 2003 and 2007. Regional health research facilities would be created in all regions and will address concerns relating to health research agenda, development of human resource in health research, conduct of researches, dissemination o f r e s e a r c h r e s u l t s, r e s e a r c h utilization, resource mobilization, leadership and management. The DOST - Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), Department of Health (DOH), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the UP Manila-National Institutes of Health (UPM-NIH) shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations of under the measure.
Manalastas expresses a view, while guidance counselor Tulipat takes note and student leader Diño listen.
A forum to address ticklish issues about the third sex was recently held at the UP Diliman faculty Center under the sponsorship of the Third World Studies Center. Questions like “Winner na ba ang LGBT sa UP?” “Ang tama ba sa UP, tama rin sa bayan?” were raised during the Nov. 28, 2012 forum in a bid to come up with a sub-culture meant to come with a comprehensive solution to the sexuality issues among the Philippine society. The event formed part of a lecture series titled “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)” which the university sought to address, according to UPDUniversity Student Council (USC) chair Heart Diño. Dino explained that the existence of the Diliman Gender Office (DGO) and Center for Women’s Studies, the gender committee of the UPD-USC, and recognized student organizations such as Babaylan, Spectrum, and Proud to be LGBT prove that among higher education institutions in the country, UP sets the pace in addressing LGBT concerns. Prescilla Tulipat, guidance counselor at the DGO, added that with respect to her office, interventions are being carried out to create a “safer place” for LGBTs. These interventions include gender-responsive counseling, gender sensitivity and sexuality training, alternative dispute resolutions, mentoring, reading materials, course evaluation, advocacy, and the conduct of interviews with students towards genderfair education. Psych 195 or LGBT Psychology is an example of how the academe attempts to be more inclusive of LGBT concerns. This course was conceptualized and is being taught by Prof. Eric Manalastas, who was also a speaker at the forum. Apart from this course at the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, he mentioned Gay Literature, offered by the College of Arts and Letters, and Queer Cinema, offered by the College of Mass Communication. While these may be the only LGBTspecific courses in the UPD, Manalastas said other courses have also integrated LGBT issues in their discussions. Going beyond the academe, he stated that one winning point for LGBTs is decriminalization—as opposed to some countries in Southeast Asia, it is not a crime to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender in the Philippines. Despite the positives, however, the three speakers pointed out that much has yet to be done.
Diño talked about how LGBTs are not very visible in the political arena and mostly confined to the entertainment industry. She also said that while LGBT students are active participants and have been elected to the student council, discrimination still exists in the university. If UP wants to be at par with the best universities in the world, Diño stated that non-discrimination policies have to be instituted, similar to the policies of Stanford University, Harvard University, and Columbia University. Manalastas included to his list of negatives, the absence of gender recognition, right to marry, right to adopt as an LGBT couple, and hate crime protection. Basic human rights to nondiscrimination, education, employment, marriage, and life are seldom afforded to members of the LGBT communities, not only in the Philippines but in other countries worldwide. Still, a silver lining shines on the horizon. The possible creation of a Center for LGBT Studies, the strengthening of existing university policies on anti-sexual harassment, the strict implementation of the Quezon City ordinance on nondiscrimination of LGBTs, as well as the recognition of the Magna Carta for Gender Inequality are steps towards progress, Diño said. Tulipat said that aside from the university policies on anti-sexual harassment, counseling practices are guided by the 2008 Guidance Counseling Code of Ethics, Republic Act No. 9500 or the UP Charter of 2008, and Republic Act No. 8353 or the amendment to the Anti-Rape Law of 1997. In the field of Psychology, Manalastas said that the Psychological Association of the Philippines issued a statement in 2011, taking a stand against conversion therapy—a method that involves making LGBTs “return” to being “straight” or heterosexual. According to him, Psychology in the Philippines, with respect to LGBT concerns, needs three things: pedagogy specific to university-based instruction, empirical studies to form a research base, and strengthened professional practice. In UP, he added, the success of LGBT Psychology, Gay Literature, and Queer Cinema can pave the way for other academic units to create LBT-specific courses. Moreover, facilities and spaces need to be safe and secure for LGBTs, LGBT materials in the library should not be labeled “pornographic,” and that perhaps bathrooms can become gender-neutral.
Psych Dept holds inaugural forum on RA 10029 The UP Diliman Department of Psychology (UPDP) has organized a forum on the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Philippine Psychology Law, also known as Republic Act (RA) 10029, for a better understanding of the new law and its mandates. The forum was held last January 29 at the Benitez Theater in coordination with the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP), the Interim Psychology Organization. A total 147 faculty members, students and practitioners from more than 60 educational and private institutions in Luzon attended the event. Miriam Cue, chair of the Professional Regulatory Board (PRB) of Psychology, was guest speaker. The convenor-moderator for the forum was Dr. Grace Aguiling-Dalisay, chair of the Department of Psychology and PAP Board Member. T he Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said RA 10029 regulates the practice of psychology and psychometrics in the Philippines to nurture competent, upright and assiduous psychologists whose standards of professional practice are excellent and globally competitive and to protect the public from inexperienced or untrained individuals offering psychological services. The IRR, published last January 8, covers the guidelines on the processes for application for the first licensure examinations for Psychometricians and Psychologists to be held not earlier than October 2013. Most of the participants in the briefing sought clarifications on the requirements for registration without examinations. The law allows for registration without examinations for those who have been involved in the practice of psychology prior to 2010.
UPLB CDC, other... ◄PAGE 3
Through a memorandum issued order on Dec. 20, 2012, CHED declared UP Diliman a Center of Excellence in Psychology. Another memorandum on the same day declared UP Diliman as Center of Excellence in Political Science. The designation is effective until May 31, 2014 As of Sept. 20, 2012, UP’s other centers of development included UP Baguio in mathematics, UP Los Baños in environmental science and statistics; UP Visayas in biology and marine science; and UP Mindanao in information technology. CAL Associate Dean and CHED technical panel member Prof. Mila Laurel has access to the updated list of CHED centers of excellence in UP. The other UP centers of excellence are UP Diliman in biology, chemistry, geology, information technology, marine science, mathematics, molecular biology, physics, and statistics; UP Manila in medicine and nursing; UP Los Baños in agricultural engineering, agriculture, biology, chemistry, forestry, information technology, mathematics, and veterinary medicine; and UP Cebu in information technology.