August-September 2012
SC stallholders and students fight against rent increase and repressed protest One of the many tendencies of privatization is to push the eyesore and the superfluous behind the shiny façade. For many years, the UP Shopping Center (SC) has been serving students and the community by supplying them with their daily and extra needs in good bargains. However, with the prodigious raise in each stall rental from P80 to P577 per square meter, it is clear that the SC is left with a very slim chance of staying in the campus. No one can deny that the UP Town Center will spark the zest of UP students as they roam about the campus during their free time. It is clear that many students will prefer the former than the old, cheap and “lokal” atmosphere of the Shopping Center. In fact, the UP Town Center project is clear to its ideals that it’s about time a “sosyal” and professional-friendly commercial building find its place in a national university campus. Like the usual malls, we do have the tendency to want to dine better, shop better and walk better. Luxury is the word. But many students have already found luxury in SC. Unnecessary high price rent In February, the UP Diliman Business Concessions Office (BCO) in-
UP Palengke Schools
formed the UP Shopping Stallholder’s Association, Inc. (SCSAI) that the
Sa pagtatayo ng University of the Philippines Professional Schools (UPPS) sa Bonifacio
monthly rent for every stall will be raised from P80 to P577 for every
Global City, Taguig, ay muli na namang itinutulak ang komersiyalisasyon ng edukasyon sa
square meter. Most stalls are about 25 square meters big. If the rent
ating pamantasan. Hindi pa nareresolbahan ang pagpapahirap ng STFAP, budget cuts at
goes up to P577 per square meter, each stallholder would have to pay a
kasabay na itinatayong UP Town Center, paparating na naman ang bagong magdudulot ng
P14,425 monthly rent, a 621% increase from the current average P2000
pasakit na papasanin nating mga estudyante.
monthly rent. As an inevitable consequence, the stallholders would also have to drastically increase the prices of the items they sell. Or worse, some stalls would just have to close.
Ang UPPS ay mag-aalok umano ng iba’t ibang post graduate programs sa law, business, engineering at statistics. Ito raw ay magandang hakbang upang mas mapalago pa ang kalidad ng ating mga propesyonal at maitaas din ang bandila ng post graduate program ng UP. Problema sa Public-Private Partnership
The SCSAI proposed last March an alternative, that is to raise the rent
Ang gastos para sa nasabing konstruksyon ay tinatayang P600 milyon. P30 milyon nito ay
to P150/m2 instead of P577/m2. Five months later, the proposal is still
pinunan ng UP at P100 milyon ng gobyerno. Ang nalalabing P470 milyon ay magmumula sa
being completely ignored. On April 17, the BCO sent a letter to every SC
mga donasyon ng mga pribadong korporasyon at mga pribadong sektor. Ang malahiganteng
stallholder telling them to comply with the new contract pertaining to the
butal sa pondo ay magbibigay daan sa malawakaang pagsasamantala ng mga korporasyon
Memorandum of Agreement on the supposed UP Town Center as re-
sa Unibersidad. Ang mga propesyonal na mapapatapos at mga mabubuong pananaliksik sa
placement of the SC. The MOA includes the plan to relocate the
loob ng isang nangungunang pamantasan ay tutugon sa interes ng mga kumpanya imbis na
“legitimate” stallholders, those who have submitted the required files
lutasin ang mga suliranin ng bayan.
(ITR, permits, etc.), to the new Town Center, wherein only those who really “deserve” a spot will be granted a discount on rent. The association is, of course, willing to submit all the files required to prove legitimacy but, with the spirit of militancy, will not sign the repressive contract (Philippine Collegian. 13 July 2012). Protest Art and Culture of Repression You may have noticed the newly painted white walls of SC. Fairly recently, UP Alay Sining closed a partnership with SCSAI to help them in the struggle in keeping the Shopping Center. The project is a mural
Hindi kailanman magtutugma ang interes ng mga pribadong korporasyon at ang interes ng pamantasan. Ang interes ng mga korporasyon ay magkaroon ng malaking tubo samantalang
What you have heard is true. I was there. And then I wasn’t. It was the monsoon. The
ang interes ng pamantasan ay maglaan ng serbisyo sa publiko. Tulad na lamang ng Tech-
rain poured. The houses in the streets were quiet, but not in slumber. They enjoyed
noHub na pinuno ng mga kainan, pasyalan at call centers sa halip na magsilbing research
the rain. It gave them comfort. The evening radio rattled obvious weather forecast.
unit ng pamantasan. Sa huli, laging interes ng mga kumpanya ang namamayani at ang
There was a street called Commonwealth. Common-street-wealth. My friends and I
kaunlaran ng edukasyon ay naiipit.
were sitting on one of its curbs. Something was going on across the street. We de-
Kursong Pangkalakal at Burges na Saklaw
cided to go check it out. Woman stood first, Peasant and I followed. We had been talk-
Kapansin-pansin na mga kursong madaling ikalakal sa pandaigdigang merkado lamang ang iaalok ng bagong kampus. Dagdag pa, mapapansin ang kawalan ng tiyak na plano ng pamantasan para paunlarin ang mga kursong hindi gaanong pinapahalagahan sa lipunang
painting campaign promoting SCSAI’s stand on the new policy and the
may dominanteng burges na kulturang nakatali sa pagkita. Bilang “Professional Schools”
community’s statement against commercialization of education.
ang moda ng bagong kampus, hindi talaga bibigyang halaga ang mga programang walang
UP Alay Sining, together with other student organizations, class sections
“market value” tulad ng Humanities, Social Sciences, atbp. Kaagapay ng elitismo sa mga kurso ang limitadong saklaw ng UPPS. Dahil ang kampus ay
paint. However, a representative from the UP administration stopped us
nasa gitna ng isang business district, karamihan sa mga estudyanteng papasok ay mga tu-
that the SCSAI and the students need to have a permit approved before
ing about things that bother us, and had been wondering if they bother anyone else too. We went to find out. Woman was cold, wearing only an election campaign t-shirt with a fading face. Peasant walked barefoot and trembled. I felt fine, but curious, because despite the bleakness of the night, the President was entertaining. His colonial mansion: 18th century Spanish architecture, windows from Germany, Baroque landscaping. Tall, concrete walls stood before us. We hid in the shrubs. It was a ball; people were famous and happy. That very day, the President decided to hold a ball! He
and Fine Arts freshmen, initiated the project by putting up the primer just when the last stroke of white paint was to be made. The admin said
The President
wiran nang propesyonal na nagtatrabaho sa mga nakapalibot na pribadong korporasyon. Nakakaligtaan ang tungkulin ng Unibersidad na paglingkuran ang mas malawak na masa.
was known for his wit, you know, and his kind face. That very day, he was groomed to perfection. Chiseled with ambition and glazed with good news. In the hallway, the President welcomed his guests himself. He shook hands with Capital, who then bowed his coxcomb. Debt came after and flashed his silver teeth. Landlord definitely remem-
the painting could be continued, something the admin never required the
Kakulangan sa Maintenance and Other Operational Expenses
bered to wear his philanthropic mittens! How exquisite were Dollar’s pearls, wherever
SC stallholders before.
Kakarampot lamang ang alokasyon ng UP at gobyerno sa pagbuo ng UPPS, kaya naman
did he get them? They glittered in the mist and were kept dry. They had brought their
inaasahang mangangapit-tuko na naman ang UP sa pangangalap ng pera para sa iba pang
umbrella men who wore gray boots and khaki button-up shirts. They marched obedi-
gastusin ng UPPS. Katulad halimabawa ng UP Diliman Science Complex na nanggaling
ently. We climbed over the steel gate. We peeked through the window. I saw my
mula sa mga alumni at mga pribadong sektor ang kalakhan ng pondo para mapatayo at
neighbors Worker and Squatter serving along with fifteen others. They whispered to
walang programa upang malaanan ng sapat na pondo para sa Maintenance and Operational
each other. There were discussions in the cocktail area. There was laughter, and then
Expenses pagkatayo.
applause, and some tacit compliance. There was no music, no murals, just a portrait of
This is a clear manifestation of the culture of repression dominant in the society; when the people use their assumed freedom of expression to expose and oppose anti-people policies, the ruling clique kicks back with spiked shoes by repressing the freedom to protest. The permit for the murals is now being processed and should
Sa patuloy na pagpasok ng pamantasan sa programa ng komersalisasyon, nasasapan-
be approved in fifteen days. We invite artists and students
ganib ang kalidad ng edukasyon. Sa halip na kaunlaran at kahusayang pagsilbihan ang
to join us in creating this monumental people’s art, in sup-
malawakang masa, ay nagmimistulang malaking palengke ng mga kapitalista ang mga
porting the stallholders’ fight for a just monthly rent, and in
lokal na propesyonal. Mabenta ang mga propesyonal na galing sa mga burges na
continuing the fight for accessible education and academic
pamantasan, nilalangaw naman ang galing sa mga hindi komersalisadong institusyon.
freedom. If the admin denies or delays the issuance
Sa ganitong pamamaraan nababago ng kulturang burges ang mismong kalidad ng edu-
of the permit, Alay Sining and other organizations
Madaling nadidiktahan ng imperyalistang Estados Uni-
repressed have already given us the necessary
dos ang ating ekonomiya at pulitika dahil sa
Artista ng Bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban!
laughed. The President shut it up. He looked embarrassed but quickly regained his wit. His talk was sweet, candy-sweet, like an amusement park ad. The guests exchanged deliberate nods and smiles. They were indulging in the banquet of progress and economic growth, pigging out over the bounty on the table. Our tongues wetted. Our stomachs grumbled. Peasant and Woman looked at each other, and told me they wanted to eat. We clambered over the thicket of roses, whose thorns pricked our skin. We
kasyon at inilalayo ito sa interes ng karamihan.
shall still continue with the project. After all, the permit.
a man and a flag. The parrot in the hall called “Maximum Tolerance!” The guests
mga ayuda at pautang. Gayundin sa kaso ng UPPS. Dahil nagmula sa mga pribadong korporasyon ang kalakhan ng pondo para mapatayo ito, madali nilang madidiktahan ang mga programa sa akademya at pananalik-
knocked on the door. One of the umbrella men answered. He listened. He shut the door behind us. We heard his heavy march fade in constant tempo into the hall. The parrot in the hall called “Maximum Tolerance!” The guests laughed. The president shut it up. Our hands hammered onto the door. It must have been dessert. Then some wine. And then a command. No more whispers. The parrot in the hall called “Maximum Tolerance!” The guests laughed no more. (Based on Carolyn Forche’s The Colonel)
sik ng pamantasan. Hinahamon namin ang aming mga kapwa Iskolar ng Bayan na maging kritikal at maging kabahagi ng sambaya-
nan sa pagbasag ng atrasadong kul- Visual artists: Submit artworks for inclusion in Edukasyon: An artistic analysis of the turang isinusubo sa atin. country’s educational situation exhibit. Deadline for submissions: September 11. Iskolar ng Bayan, ngayon ay Writers: Submit literary pieces for inclusion in the Palihang Tanya Domingo. lumalaban!
Actors: Join our theatre workshops with KARATULA and Dulaang Iglap Tour. Singers & Musicians: Audition for Alay Sining album recording.
for inquiries, contact: Bobby Lou (09153719802) Sak Makata (09213887276) || AlaySining.wordpress.com
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