September 2012
U.P. Newsletter 7
Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc
Two panelists in favor and two others against the Reproductive Health bill pending in Congress presented their views in a September 19 forum organized by the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs through the Office of Institutional Linkages (OIL) and the Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS). The forum was held at the National Institute of Physics, National Science Complex, UP Diliman and gave equal time to the presentations of two pro-RH bill and two anti-RH bill panelists. Dr. Ernesto Pernia, professorial lecturer at the UP School of Economics, used Philippine statistical data and surveys to support the economic theory that population growth cannot be left unfactored in solving the country’s poverty. Atty. Elizabeth Pangalangan, director of the UP Law Center’s Institute of Human Rights, cited legal and human rights bases and the state’s legal obligations to argue for the enactment of an RH bill. Dr. Ligaya Acosta, executive director of Human Life International for Asia and Oceania, argued that contraceptives are abortifacient and harmful to the body, mind, and the environment. Edgardo Sorreta, board chairman of Pro-Life Philippines Foundation, decried the huge amount of money from Catholics that will be spent on something against their faith. He described the bill as an attack on the constitutional rights of Catholics. Vice-President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion explained the CIDS’ key areas of involvement: education, employment, environment and economic emancipation. She said the reason for the forum fell under the fourth responsibility of the center. Assistant Vice-President for Academic
Dr. Ricardo Bagarinao, associate professor and UP Open University registrar, was named one of the Outstanding Filipino Research Leaders for 2012 during the World Research Festival held from August 22 to 25 at the Marco Polo Plaza in Cebu City. Bagarinao also received the Diamond First Prize Award and Platinum 2nd Prize Award for PowerPoint Presentation and Oral Presentation for his papers “Learners’ Access Patterns and Performance in an Online Course in Science, Technology and Society” and “Geospatial Distribution of Distance Education Learners in UP Open University: Implications for Student Support,” respectively. UPOU University Researchers Alvie Simonette Alip and Luisa Gelisan were also awarded Diamond First Prize Awards for their papers “Use of Non-Traditional Assessment on Online Science Courses” and “Student’s Perception and Assessment of a Distance Institution’s Information Services.” The World Research Festival is co-organized by the International Association of Multidisciplinary Research (IAMURE), Philippine Association of Institutions for Research and the Commission on Higher Education, and co-hosted by the Liceo de Cagayan University, Cebu Normal University, University of Cebu, and the University of San Jose Recoletos. Distance education orientation
The UPOU also participated in a one-day book exhibit and sale at the festival and conducted distance education orientation and program promotions at the Abellana National High School and the Cebu International Distance Education College. UPOU Information Office Director Primo Garcia, Information Officer Anna Cañas and UPOU Learning Center Coordinator Arleen Tampus were interviewed over DYLA 909khz Cebu City. The participants paid courtesy calls on UP Cebu OIC Dean Teresita Rodriguez Bagarinao displays his award. and Cebu City Vice-Mayor Joy Augustus Young. ((Anna Anna Cañas Cañas))
Affairs and CIDS Executive Director Marilou Nicolas gave a brief overview of the RH bill before the panel presentation. She began with the Philippines’ signing of a Declaration on Population together with 11 other countries in 1967, with population control and family planning evolving in many forms and names with each succeeding administration. Questions from the audience were written on pieces of paper which the moderators, Assistant Vice-President for Academic Affairs and OIL Director Antoinette Hernandez and Nicolas, sifted through and read selected parts of for the panelists to address.
Panunupil at paglaban mula Batas Militar hanggang sa kasalukuyan, tinalakay sa KAL Mula sa pahina 3 Oplan Bayanihan ng pamahalaang Benigno Aquino III. Aniya, noong bata pa siya, pinatay ng militar ang kanyang tiyuhin at dalawang pinsan. Dahil laganap daw ang pang-aabusong militar noong 1980s, lalong dumami ang sumali sa New People’s Army (NPA) at nag-armas laban sa gobyernong Marcos. Ayon kay Marcellana, kasalukuyang may walong batalyon na ng pinagsanib na sundalo, pulis at paramilitar ang nakahimpil sa dalawang distrito sa Timog Katagalugan upang diumano’y labanan ang NPA. Sabi niya, may mahigit 50 himpilan na doon ang militar na nagrerekrut ng CAFGU at tumutugis sa NPA, habang dumarami naman ang kaso ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao. May mahigit 200 kaso na raw ng pang-aabuso ng militar laban sa mga sibilyang taga-Timog Katagalugan ang kanilang naitala. Kabilang sa mga kasong iyon ang iligal na detensyon, iligal na paghalughog, paglabag sa karapatan sa panirahan, sapilitang relokasyon, pananakot, pananakit at pagpatay, subalit hindi ito napapabalita sa midya, dagdag pa niya. Ipinaliwanag ni Marcellana kung bakit tila mas marami pang sundalong nakahimpil ngayon sa Quezon at Bondoc Peninsula kaysa noong panahon ni Marcos. Aniya, may 44 nang kumpanya ng pagmimina ang interesado sa likas yamang ginto, pilak at tanso doon. May multibilyong-pisong dam na itatayo sa Macalelon, may mga
Photo courtesy of Prof. Bagarinao
Pros and antis clash Associate professor receives Outstanding Filipino Research Leader Award in UP RH forum
plantang pang-elektrisidad sa Pagbilao at Atimonan, at tinatayang mahigit sa 240,000ektaryang lupain ang posibleng minahin. Idinudulot diumano ng mga proyektong ito ang kawalan at pagkasira ng kabuhayan ng mga maralitang magsasaka. Dahas at panunupil daw ang tugon ng kasalukuyang gobyerno laban sa mga di-sang-ayon sa mga ipinatutupad na proyekto. Mahigit 100 katao na ang naging biktima ng extra-judicial killings mula nang maupo si Pang. Noynoy Aquino, 17 biktima ay mula sa Timog Katagalugan, ayon kay Marcellana. Nagpapatuloy na pasismo ng estado
Ayon kay Prop. Rommel Rodriguez ng KAL, kasalukuyang coordinator ng Opisina ng mga Gawain ng Mag-aaral (OSA) ng UPD, kinakailangan ang mga kontranaratibo o talakayang tulad nito upang ilantad ang patuloy na pandarahas ng estado. Aniya, bagama’t may pambansang pag-alaala sa Batas Militar, may pagbura ang estado sa totoong kasaysayan at ginagawang naaayon na lang sa kasalukuyang may-kapangyarihan. Isinasantabi daw ng naghaharing uri ang mga magsasaka, manggagawa, kabataan at iba pang sektor na lumaban sa diktadura at pinakanapinsala ng pasismo ng estado. May pagkalimot sa mga nag-alay ng buhay at nakibaka noon. Marami raw ang nalinlang noong panahon ng Batas Militar at maging pagkatapos
First round-table discussion on ‘Openness of Open Universities’ The first session for the series of UP Open University Round-Table Discussions on “The Openness of Open Universities” was held last August 23 at the Oblation Hall, UPOU Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna. Scheduled every third Thursday of the month, the series serves as UPOU’s self-evaluation of its own openness practice. The lead discussants were UPOU Chancellor Grace Javier Alfonso and Prof. Alexander Flor, former Dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies, who delivered talks on “The UP Open University: In Thoughts of Openness in a Digitized World” and “The Downside of Open Knowledge Resources,” respectively. As the lead discussant, Alfonso asked: “Is openness valued in our university? Does our name reflect our ‘Universitas’ ethos—a university that has an early appreciation of ICT, new media and digital media for course development and delivery? Does openness underlie our dealings with our students? Is openness an essential part of everyday operations? Is it an agency moving towards openness or is it just migrating traditional educational values and practices enveloped in enhanced technologies?” The chancellor
reminded everyone of the need to create meanings shared by UPOU constituents. She said, “the work and practice that will come out from this RTD will certainly strengthen our commitment to social transformation through learning.” Flor discussed the downside of open knowledge resources. One is that technology is fast making the teacher redundant and the World Wide Web is fast replacing the university as the repository of knowledge. Flor also discussed the concept of the “invisible” teacher and how he did it in his class. He explained how online teachers could be effective while being minimally invasive of their student’s learning space. He reminded everyone how “we may be subjecting ourselves to inordinate risks when we apply open education and open access approaches in our academic work. For instance, our colleagues from conventional universities will certainly admonish us for being ‘invisible teachers.’ The university itself having been the traditional bastion of IPR (intellectual property rights) may not take the notion of open access and open educational resources kindly.” He concluded that, “we are in the process of reinventing ourselves, but it is a risky business.” (Eleanor Payawal-Manipol)
mapatalsik si Marcos. Ipinaliwanag niya na nagdeklara si Marcos ng Batas Militar upang manatili sa puder, supilin ang lumalawak na protesta ng sambayanan, at patatagin ang naghaharing sistemang nagsasamantala sa buong bayan. Pagkatapos naman ng EDSA People Power noong 1986, marami ang naniwalang naibalik na ang demokrasya ngunit umigting pa ang pasismo at lalong dumami ang paglabag sa karapatang pantao. Lahat ng ito ay orkestrado ng kapitalismo, aniya, kaya mas kailangan ngayon ang ibayong pagkakaisa upang mailahad ang kasaysayan ng rebolusyon at patuloy na pakikibaka. Ayon sa pahayag ng CONTENDUP, mahigit 60,000 katao ang inaresto ng gobyerno mula 1972 hanggang 1977. Tinortyur ng militar ang mga bilanggong pulitikal, pinaslang ang higit sa 500 aktibista
sa pagitan lang ng 1975 hanggang 1980. May tinatayang $5 bilyon hanggang $10 bilyon nakaw na yaman sina Marcos, ayon sa Transparency International, habang aabot sa $35 bilyon ang tantiya ng iba pang grupo. Laganap pa rin umano ang pamamaslang, tortyur at pagdukot, kahit walang pormal na deklarasyon ng Batas Militar sa kasalukuyang panahon. Sa ilalim ng Oplan Bayanihan ni Aquino III, may naitalang mahigit sa 430 biktima ng iligal na pagdakip, 67 tortyur, 29,465 sapilitang paglikas, 27 tangkang pagpaslang, 19,325 kaso ng pananakot, 100 biktima ng pulitikal na pagpaslang at 11 biktima ng pagdukot. Pagpapatuloy ng laban ng mga kabataan
Sinabi ni Vencer Crisostomo, Sundan sa pahina 9