PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman › Lunes 13 Marso 2017 › Tomo 94 Blg 14
2 › opinyon
REIGN OF TERROR
kulê
The new administration is fond of killing its own people. On top of 7,000 dead bodies found on the streets in the past seven months, Duterte’s faithful ilk in the lower house successfully approved a bill that restores death penalty. And now that the bogus Oplan Tokhang is back on track, the approved bill is nothing but a concerted effort to legalize all statesponsored killings that shall come in the months ahead.
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‘SOCIALIZED TUITION SCHEME TO COMPLEMENT FREE TUITION BILL’
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editoryal LUNES 13 MARSO 2017 ISKO ON THE STREET Ano ang hamon mo para kay Pangulo Danilo Concepcion ng UP? “Syempre, ‘yung libreng edukasyon. Samahan niya yung mga estudyante sa mga laban sa karapatan, hindi lamang sa loob ng pamantasang UP, pero sa labas din.” Nailah Casimiro 2nd year BA Film
Reign of terror More bullets will hit the poor and the marginalized. The 7,000-death toll of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs is already proof to the state’s monopoly on violence, but the worse is yet to come with the passage of a bill arming the state with extra loaded guns. With the backing of staunch allies of President Rodrigo Duterte, the lower house of the Congress swiftly approved House Bill (HB) 4727 or the death penalty bill which restores capital punishment on heinous crimes—a policy that was previously abolished in 2006. An overwhelming majority or 217 of the 272 present reps voted in favor of the bill on March 7, despite the clamor of the masses to deter the bill’s passage. Its proponents were certain the proposed bill will protect the innocent, but the version they approved only supports Duterte’s drug war and is bent toward the interests of the rich. They removed plunder alongside treason and rape as crimes qualified for capital punishment, and limited the bill to “drugrelated” crimes only. Hence, any individual found guilty of drug-related crimes can be subjected to death penalty, while plunderers like former President Gloria Arroyo and pork barrel queen Janet Napoles can be cleared off of their raps despite stealing millions from the public fund. The poor are set to bear the brunt of the death penalty bill, in addition to the human rights crisis in the Philippines. For years, the state had its guns aimed
The death penalty bill is also another futile attempt to fulfill Duterte’s promise to eradicate drugs and crime within six months.
at journalists, farmers, farmworkers, national minorities, and activists—sectors who were predominantly poor, easily tagged as criminals by the government through planted evidences. And Duterte’s drug war only exacerbated the killings. The accused are from the urban poor: jobless and have no access to basic social services in their communities. The death penalty bill is also another futile attempt to fulfill Duterte’s promise to eradicate drugs and crime within six months. Studies from local and international human rights organizations proved there is no correlation between the number of crimes and the presence of a law that allows the state to kill criminals. More so, the previous law’s failure to lower the crime rate was one reason it was abolished during the Arroyo regime. The bill instead blatantly violates the civilian’s right to life and the prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment as declared in the Constitution and agreements the state is signatory to. It stands in contrast to the public’s outcry to release the 402 political prisoners who were incarcerated for trumped up charges, and the clamor to free accused drug trafficker Mary Jane Veloso who was placed on Indonesia’s death row to pay the price of a crime she did not commit. If the government is sincere in eradicating crime, it should first address one thing that proliferates it: poverty. This perennial problem, pushing the poor to commit crimes, will not be solved by enforcing another
bandage solution such as HB 4727, especially in the case of the Philippines’ flawed justice system that perpetuates a culture of impunity. Lawmakers should instead push for substantial reforms and policies that will improve the living conditions of the poor. Effective policies entail access of the marginalized communities to basic social services: education, health care, and housing facilities, among others. However, it is almost certain that a Senate version of the death penalty bill will be passed with the majority of the upper house being devout Duterte supporters. Thus, the Filipino people have the ardent duty to counter the state’s decade-long violence, and support meaningful reforms through the continuation of peace talks that will put an end to the socioeconomic problems the country is set into. The peace talks have already come a long way, with both parties agreeing on the land distribution as the governing framework in the discussion of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms, the meat and next agenda of the negotiations. The call for the Filipino people to unite— take the streets, hold human rights violators accountable, and clamor for social justice— has never been as timely. We have done it before when we stood against tanks and trucks, and toppled a fascist regime. We will do it again: prove that guns and bullets are no match to the people standing united with one call for justice. −
“One of the steps that our president should take is to somehow restart ‘yung Monorail Program, kasi it just feels sad, it’s being left there to rot. [I]f that thing is complete, it would be really efficient and easy for students to go from building to building.” Abelard Narcida
3rd year BS Materials Engineering
“Na hindi niya itulad sa sistema ng UP College of Law ‘yung sistema ng UP in general kasi alam ko very anti-student ang kalakaran sa loob… Sana mag-consult siyang totoo sa mga estudyante, kausapin niya yung USC kasi eto ‘yung mga totoong naririnig lahat ng stories ng mga estudyante.”
Punong Patnugot Karen Ann Macalalad Kapatnugot Arra Francia Tagapamahalang Patnugot John Reczon Calay Patnugot sa Kultura Andrea Joyce Lucas Patnugot sa Grapiks Jan Andrei Cobey − Adrian Kenneth Gutlay − Chester Higuit Tagapamahala ng Pinansiya John Daniel Boone Kawani Hans Christian Marin − Sheila Ann Abara − John Kenneth Zapata − Sanny Afable Pinansiya Amelyn Daga Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon Gary Gabales Sirkulasyon Amelito Jaena − Glenario Ommamalin Mga Katuwang na Kawani Trinidad Gabales − Gina Villas
Julian Tanaka
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 Telepono 981-8500 lokal 4522 Online phkule@gmail.com − www.philippinecollegian.org − fb.com/phkule − twitter.com/phkule − instagram.com/phkule
UKOL SA PABALAT
4th year CFA Industrial Design
Dibuho ni Rosette Abogado
LUNES 13 MARSO 2017
#EDUC4ALL Adrian Kenneth Gutlay
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Students and youth groups converged at the Mendiola Peace Arch during the National Day of Walkout for Free Education and Peace, February 23. Despite the proposed Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, youth group Kabataan Partylist expressed deep concerns that the bill, in its current form, will only result in the institutionalization of socialized tuition schemes in state universities and colleges. Representative Sarah Elago further stated that similar schemes implemented in the University of the Philippines have allowed it to amass profits that would justify the paltry sums allotted by the government to education.
‘Socialized tuition scheme to complement free tuition bill’ TOTAL 15,912,742 TOTAL 10,234,821
TOTAL 12,615,542
SIDEBAR 1 UP TOTAL INCOME TOTAL 13,456,970
TOTAL 12,159,363
SIDEBAR 2 SUCS TOTAL INTERNAL INCOME REFERENCES IBON FOUNDATION, PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY, DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT, AND SENATE −
HANS CHRISTIAN E. MARIN
THE FREE TERTIARY EDUCATION bill approved in the lower house could pave the way for the implementation of a nationwide socialized tuition scheme— one that has consistently been used for profiteering in the country’s only national university. Youth group Kabataan Partylist Representative Sarah Jane Elago said this amid the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education’s approval on March 6 of the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act,” a bill that would waive tuition and other school fees payment across the country’s 114 state universities and colleges (SUCs). Although the bill promises free tuition and subsidies in SUCS, the same profiteering scheme in the Socialized Tuition System (STS) in UP might be used, Elago said. Profiteering scheme Under STS, only students with families earning an annual income of less than P135,000 are granted free tuition, while those with no tuition discount pay at least
P22,500 every semester for a normal 15 unit load. Tuition and other fees collection in UP has averaged to P12.9 billion every year since 2013, data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed (see sidebar 1). In the proposed bill, a Student Loan Program will also be implemented where P12 billion will be used to subsidize the education of eligible students in private higher education institutions (HEIs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs). The bill previously drew flak from private institutions for supposedly depriving them of student enrollment given the free tuition offered in SUCs. The current form of the bill wants public funds to be used for profit-making by private HEIs that are worried that greater funding for SUCs will result in the transferring of students from private to public HEIs, Elago said. On the other hand, the bill will also seek funding from official development assistance or foreign loans. Elago also warned that seeking funds through foreign aid always
comes with a cost that might compromise the nature of Philippine education. “Dapat ang pagsuporta sa free public education ay true sa clamor ng mga estudyante at ng mga eskwelahan. Hindi dapat ginagawang negosyo ang edukasyon,” Elago said. Opposition from CHED In December 2016, Congress granted an additional P8.3 billion budget to Commission on Higher Education (CHED) originally to make tuition fee free for at least 1.6 million students in SUCs. The additional budget came from funds initially allocated for development projects of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. However, the additional budget must be doubled to P16 billion as this is the amount needed to make tuition free for all SUCs, CHED Commissioner Patricia Licuanan said. Free tuition will also not help the poor as only about eight percent of them are enrolled in college and majority of them have stopped schooling, Licuanan added.
Recognizing that P16 billion is just 0.48 percent of the country’s total budget of P3.35 trillion in 2017, National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) Spokesperson Mark Lim still believes free tuition is a positive step towards making education more accessible to the poor. About 1.6 million students in SUCs pay an average of P9,407 in tuition every year, data from Senator Bam Aquino’s Free Higher Education For All Act revealed. This is already 5.54 percent of the average family income of minimum wage workers amounting to P170,100, where more than half is spent on food while about a third is spent for other payments like rent and bills, data from IBON Foundation stated. With the high cost of education and insufficient family income, four million children and youth aged six to 24 were forced to drop out of school in 2013, data from Philippine Statistics Authority showed. “The statements [of Licuanan] show a lack of understanding on the struggles of the youth and the crisis of tertiary education. They seem to ignore the factors
that made tertiary education inaccessible to the poor in the first place–expensive tuition and other school fees,” Lim said. Fight for free tuition While the tertiary education bill is set to be signed on its third reading before Congress takes a recess on March 15, Lim believes that along with changing and improving some of the bill’s provisions, the government should also repeal repressive educational policies such as the Education Act of 1982 and the Roadmap for Public Higher Education Reform (RPHER). The Education Act of 1982 maintains the existence of tuition and OSFs in all universities while RPHER pushes SUCs to become selfsufficient by 2016. As consistent with RPHER, SUCs have been earning a total income average of P25 billion a year since 2013 to augment their annual budget. “The government should establish a system of free public higher education. Youth and students groups should further intensify the struggle for free education by mounting successive protests nationwide,” Lim said. −
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In year 3 of STS
1 in 4 student borrowers apply for 100 percent loan −
More than one in four UP Diliman (UPD) loan applicants borrowed 100 percent of their tuition this second semester of academic year (AY) 2016 to 2017, despite the additional process of obtaining the chancellor’s approval for submission to the campus’ loan board. A total of 28.1 percent of student borrowers acquired a full loan, 7.33 percent higher than the figure recorded in the first semester of AY 2014 to 2015. The percentage of the 80-percent loan borrowers subsequently decreased by 6.5 percent in the same period, data from the Office of Scholarships and Student Services (OSSS) showed (see sidebar). Undergraduates may apply for a loan as much as 80 percent of their assessed tuition fee by submitting only a 2-page promissory note on the loan board. Applications which cover the full cost of tuition meanwhile require the chancellor’s approval. Overall, a total of 1,753 students incurred a debt this semester, 1,431 of whom are undergraduates covered by the Socialized Tuition System (STS). Students with a 60 percent tuition discount comprise a third of the borrowers, while those with an 80 percent discount comprise a quarter. The STS is believed to process discount applications faster than the 24-year old
Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), which it replaced in 2014. Since UP receives only almost half of its proposed budget every year, the admin instituted socialized tuition schemes and land lease projects to generate income. Students apply for loans due to delayed STS appeal results, financial concerns, and lack of cash on hand, OSSS Officer-in-Charge Kenneth Jamandre said. One in five borrowers last semester had outstanding STS appeals to be reassigned to higher tuition discounts. However, it is the high cost of UP tuition amounting to a maximum of P1,500 per unit which forces students to avail loans, Student Regent Raoul Manuel said. This amount surpassed the P1,096 estimated family living wage in the National Capital Region, more so compared with the P12 per unit tuition in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. The number of borrowers reflects the high cost of living in Quezon City, a member of the 2013 study group which assessed the admission policy of UP and UPD Journalism Professor Danilo Arao said. The monthly cost of UPD dormitory for undergraduates alone ranges from P250 to P1,500, while rentals outside cost at least P2,000. Ineligible to enroll Loans unsettled within four months incur
Karen Ann Macalalad
a six percent annual interest, or a P1,350 additional fee for a student without an STS discount and had a full loan to cover a 15-unit load. Students are allowed to defer payment of loans for a maximum of three semesters only. As of February 3, a total of 275 students have yet to settle their tuition debts incurred on the first semester, amounting to P3.42 million. “Merong students na hindi financially ready sa pag-aaral sa university kaya nagre-resort to multiple loans kahit may outstanding balance pa,” Jamandre said. The OSSS advises unpaid borrowers to provide a partial payment of their loans or appeal to the chancellor instead for the late payment of their second semester tuition, Jamandre said. A total of 197 students appealed for late payment due to emergency situations and delayed family remittances, data from the Office of the Chancellor showed. The multi-sectoral Justice for Kristel Alliance proposed in 2013 to allow student borrowers pay their loans even after graduation, following the suicide of UP Manila student Kristel Tejada who was tagged ineligible for enrolment due to unpaid loans. But the admin rejected their recommendation, claiming it encourages students not to pay their loans, Arao said. The admin also retained Articles 333, 430, and 431 in the Revised University Code
of the UP, which the group demanded to be repealed since these supposedly bar unpaid students from enrolling and being admitted to their enlisted classes. “Maraming estudyante ang hindi bayad dahil ‘yung edukasyon sa UP at ating bansa ay itinuturing bilang isang kalakal, kung saan nais maksimahin ‘yung kita mula sa bawat estudyante,” Manuel said. Tuition fee collection in UP soared to P473.43 million in 2014, which is 33.17 percent higher than the collected fees in 2010, data from the Department of Budget and Management showed. Free education possible With the high tuition cost and unpaid loans every semester, student groups have called to junk the STS in favor of a free tuition scheme across all levels. Kabataan Partylist filed House Bill 4800 or the Comprehensive Free Public Higher Education Bill on January 23, which pushes for free tuition to in all public schools. Provisions include the readmission of drop-outs and the introduction of a nationalist and scientific curriculum in colleges. “If passed, this bill stands to benefit not only the 1.6 million students currently enrolled in [state universities and colleges] SUCs, but also million others who will be able to enter college without fearing the heavy
SIDEBAR 4 NUMBER OF STUDENT BORROWERS WITH UNPAID LOAN AND THE AMOUNT COLLECTIBLE SINCE AY 2014-2015
SIDEBAR 1 STUDENT BORROWERS GROUPED BY PERCENTAGE OF TUITION LOAN THEY APPLIED FOR 70
80
85
100
Other amount
Total
155,171, 363.36
12,987
costs,” said Kabataan Partylist Sarah Elago in a statement. The OSSS has yet to review any document relating to free education, but the roles of the office will be adjusted accordingly should UP implement the scheme, Jamandre said. In December 2016, the Congress granted the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) an additional P8.3 billion budget to fund tuition payments, which was initially provided for the development projects in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. However, the proposed policy guidelines of CHEd excluded UP from the free tuition program with its implementation of STS, so as the recipients of existing scholarships. “Hindi dapat paghihiwalayain ‘yung scholarship and free tuition… free education does not equate to free education plus cost of living allowance,” Arao said. While it is true that the rich outnumbered the poor, the admin do not measure the benefits poor students will have in terms of being able to finally focus on their studies, he added. Instead, there is a need to reform the current UP admission system which is biased toward the students coming from the urban areas and private schools, Arao claimed. “The call to repeal STFAP or STS has been there since 1989. There is nothing to reform in that system that is inherently income-generating.” −
SIDEBAR 3 NUMBER OF STUDENT BORROWERS AND THE AMOUNT OF LOAN GRANTED SINCE AY 2014-2017 SIDEBAR 5 STUDENT BORROWERS GROUPED BY THEIR ST SYSTEM BRACKET AFTER POSTING OF APPEAL RESULTS 33% Discount
No Discount
60% Discount
80% Discount
Full Discount
SIDEBAR 2 PERCENTAGE OF BORROWERS APPLYING FOR 100 PERCENT AND 80 PERCENT LOANS
SIDEBAR 6 NUMBER OF STUDENT BORROWERS WITH APPROVED STS APPEALS No Discount
Source: Office of Scholarships and Student Services
33% Discount
60% Discount
80% Discount
1st semester 14-15
1st semester 15-16
1st semester 16-17
2nd semester 14-15
2nd semester 15-16
2nd semester 16-17
Total
1000 100 10
Full Discount plus stipend
UPLB Chancellor faces criminal case −
LUNES 13 MARSO 2017
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REPORTS FROM UPLB PERSPECTIVE
UP LOS BAÑOS (UPLB) CHANCELLOR Fernando Sanchez faced defamation charges after allegedly accusing another UPLB official of infidelity, during his meeting with engineers on December 8, 2015 at the Office of the Chancellor. Sanchez allegedly accused Dr. Ruben Tanqueco of having an affair with one of his staff, whose husband is working overseas. Tanqueco is the current Director of the Physical Plant Maintenance and Service Office (PPMSO) in UPLB. A grave oral defamation case was filed against Sanchez on July 16, 2016, but was initially dismissed by the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Laguna after conducting preliminary investigations. However, a petition for review was granted by Regional Prosecutor Ernesto C. Mendoza on January 24, 2017, which ruled over the previous decision of the lower court. Grave oral defamation or slander is libel committed by oral or speaking means, as described in the Revised Penal Code of the country. Upon examination, Mendoza ruled that Sanchez’s statement puts Tanqueco into public ridicule and contempt. A case was formally filed against Sanchez on February 6, 2017 at the Municipal Trial Court (MTC). “[I’ve been] working in the university for 37 long years, unblemished record, and then all of a sudden, aakusahan mo ako in front of so many people na ganito ako… So that’s precisely the reason why I filed a case against him,” Tanqueco said.
Several people including Human Resources Development Office (HRDO) Chief Administrative Officer Armando Palanca testified to the case against the chancellor. However, Sanchez denied the allegations in his counter-affidavit, saying he did not mentioned Tanqueco was having a relationship with a staff of PPMSO. He also did not commit a crime because his statements were uttered in good faith, Sanchez said. Sanchez also posted bail to Los Baños MTC on February 20. The same court postponed the decision for Sanchez’s case because of his camp’s pending motion to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Earlier on February 9, Sanchez’ lawyer Atty. Rosalio Aragon, Jr. filed a petition to DOJ to review the case, due to the conflicting rules of the provincial and regional state prosecutor. Tanqueco’s private prosecutor Atty. Emilo C. Capulong said that the earlier resolution by the Regional Prosecutor is considered final. However, Aragon cited Rule 116, Section 11 of the Rule of Court stating that, “upon motion by the proper party, the arraignment shall be suspended for the case of a pending petition for review of the resolution of the prosecutor at either the DOJ or the Office of the President.” Meanwhile, Presiding Judge Francisco Collado, Jr. has set May 24, 2017 to be the case’s final arraignment, with or without the DOJ’s resolution. As of March 9, 2017, Sanchez has failed to comment or issue a statement regarding the case. −
TIEMPOS MUERTOS Adrian Kenneth Gutlay
Students condemned the death penalty and the spate of extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration in a protest action at the Palma Hall steps, March 10. The protesters asserted that not only does capital punishment fail to reduce crime, but the poor and the marginalized are vulnerable to it.
Justice sought over death of Lanao barrio doctor −
TIEMPOS MUERTOS Adrian Kenneth Gutlay
Santiago Pilar, a professor from the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Fine Arts, talks about the history of the Philippine colonial struggle in a class, March 2, through a cubist illustration of a man in chains underneath an eagle, representing America’s oppressive power over the nation. Pilar, once a member of the New People's Army during the Martial Law era, recalls how he fought the dictatorship during the First Quarter Storm. Though he wasn’t able to reunite with his brothers - those who have bravely fought in arms alongside him and now lay peacefully in the mountains - he remains hopeful that when something similar to Martial Law happens, the students and the masses alike would be ready to fight it.
KAREN ANN MACALALAD
HEALTH WORKERS CALL FOR JUSTICE over the death of a 31-year old volunteer doctor and UP Los Baños graduate in Sapad, Lanao del Norte, who was shot at the back by two unidentified men around 7pm, March 1. Dr. Dreyfuss Bolivar Perlas was riding his motorcycle along a national highway in Maranding, Kapatagan when the incident happened. Motorcycle-riding gunmen armed with a .45 caliber pistol followed Perlas on his way home from a medical mission, said Police Senior Inspector Melvin Loquinte of Kapatagan in a news report. “Nalulungkot kami bilang kabaro, huwaran si Dr. Perlas dahil pinili niyang magsilbi sa kanayunan, malayo sa kaniyang pamilya at comfort ng buhay niya. Talagang huwaran siya sa mga bagong mga doktor at estudyante sa medisina,” said Dr. Geneve Rivera-Reyes of the Health Alliance for Democracy. Perlas started as a volunteer in Sapad in 2011 under the government’s Doctors to the Barrios Program, which deploys doctors and nurses to rural communities to provide health care to residents. He later served as the area’s municipal health officer of the area in 2013. As the police have yet to identify the motive behind the doctor’s killing, health workers demand for the urgent investigation and identification of the perpetrators. ”Malaon nang problema itong seguridad ng mga mangagawang pangkalusugan sa kanayunan ay hindi napoproteksyonan. Hindi lang ito
ang unang pagkakataon na nagkaroon ng ganitong kaso, pamamatay at pangha-harass sa medical workers,” Reyes said. In 2009, two activist doctors were killed by armed men in separate incidents in Davao City and Northern Samar, human rights group Karapatan reported. Victims include Dr. Rogelio P. Penera who was a member of the Alliance of Health Workers in Davao, and Dr. Bartolome Resuello who was the chair of the Bayan Muna Partylist in Northern Samar. The government through the Department of Health (DOH) must ensure the safety of the medical workers deployed on rural areas, and address the roots why doctors leave the provinces, Reyes said. DOH Secretary Paulyn Ubial has already ordered the agency to revisit and amend the existing Magna Carta for Public Health Workers to reinforce the benefits and security provisions which may ensure the safety and protection of health workers in dangerous posts. But more to security, there should be a holistic solution and sufficient budget to address the problem of the health sector in the country, Reyes said. “Hindi dapat natatapos sa paged-deploy ng doctor at nurses sa kanayunan, kundi pagpapatibay ng serbisyong pangkalusugan, pasilidad, supplies, at pagbibigay ng tamang edukasyon sa mga mamayan tungkol sa kalusugan.” −
13 MARSO 2017 BALITA LUNES A month after HTI factory fire
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1,300 workers feared missing −
CAMILLE LISAY AND DANIEL BOONE
A TOTAL OF 1,348 WORKERS MAY have been killed in the 48-hour fire that razed down the House Technology Industries (HTI) in Cavite on February 1, contrary to the claims of local government that only 126 were injured and one died, investigation of a fact-finding mission revealed. On February 4 to 7, the 40-member National Fact Finding Mission (NFFM) interviewed 31 workers and recorded accounts of witnesses near the fire site. Majority believed many were trapped and died inside, since the fire exits of the building were closed and cannot accommodate the estimated 6,000 workers on duty, NFFM reported on February 14. The six-hectare HTI factory failed to several safety standards of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), especially that it housed highly combustible materials such as wood and flammable chemicals, NFFM stated. Owned by a Singapore-based company, HTI is a factory located in the Cavite Export Processing Zone that specializes on housing equipment and technology like stonewalls and plywoods for export. There was also no evidence of the workers timing out of their labor shift when the fire started on the second floor of HTI around 6pm, said Jerome Adonis, secretary general of workers’ group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), among the member groups of NFFM. No corpses were found because the HTI management immediately cleaned the area, he added. The HTI incident is the biggest fire in the history of export processing zones in the country, and may be a larger workplace tragedy than the Kentex fire in 2015 which left 74 dead workers. Kentex is a rubber slipper factory in Valenzuela which also had
PRAYING FOR LIFE Dylan Reyes
its fire exits and windows locked at the time of the tragedy, earlier reports stated. Unsafe for work While the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) claimed the HTI is compliant of occupational and safety standards, the factory only had seven fire exits, short of the 12 prescribed by the BFP for big and fire-hazardous workplaces. Some of its exits also led the escaping workers to other floors of the building instead of the streets, the NFFM revealed. “There is also an apparent lack of proper electronic devices that could have automatically switched on in case of smoke or fire detection, or could have shut down electric equipment or valves that can cause, fan or aggravate fire,” the report added. One of the warehouses of HTI already caught fire in 2013. “Sobra-sobra ang kahirapan ng manggagawa dahil sa mga ganitong patakaran [at kondisyon] sa trabaho… [Bukod pa rito], gobyerno mismo ang nagtutulak na atakihin ang mga manggagawa sa utos ng kapitalista,” Adonis said. HTI barred workers from forming and joining labor unions in the factory, violating the lawful right of the workers to organize. It also employed thousands of agency-hired workers from at least six manpower agencies, NFFM report stated. Adonis called the government to provide a safer workplace condition for workers and expose labor exploitation policies in other companies. At least 20,000 contractual employees of HTI lost jobs after the fire and were threatened by the HTI to remain silent amid the devastating incident, Adonis said.
If the workers will speak to the media, the company will cut their financial assistance and put them on block list, Adonis added. Most of the workers interviewed by the NFFM hid behind anonymity and pseudonyms. Holding accountable With support from labor organizations like KMU and Center or Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), HTI workers now call for better conditions in the workplace to ensure their welfare in any case of fire incidents. Meanwhile, the progressive partylists in the House of Representatives endorsed the NFFM findings to the Congress’s labor committee and call for another independent fact-finding mission, without the intervention of the HTI management, local government, and even the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). “The burden of the proof lies with the HTI management. [Kailangang] patunayan nila na wala talagang namatay sa insidente,” Adonis added, saying that a new fact-finding mission will provide a more transparent investigation of the incident. The HTI management has yet to release a statement, but the PEZA and DOLE assured that the workers affected by the fire will be provided compensation and financial assistance, and will be absorbed by other HTI companies located in other areas such as Metro Manila. “Pinabayaan nila ang mga manggagawa sa ngalan ng tubô… Dapat labanan ang mga [anti-manggangawang polisiya], i-assert ang democratic rights ng mga manggagawa at i-expose ang role ng gobyerno [rito],” Adonis said. −
Members of religious organizations offered prayers for the members of the Congress to denounce the reinstatement of death penalty in the country's judicial system, March 7 at the House of Representatives. A total of 217 lawmakers voted yes while only 54 said no and one abstained during the 3rd and final reading of the bill that seeks to reimpose capital punishment. Various groups denounced the passage of death penalty in the Congress citing that the government should address the roots of poverty first to help eradicate the prevalence of crimes.
WOMAN'S WORLD Adrian Kenneth Gutlay
Various groups and sectors turned the Quezon Hall into a dance floor for the annual One Billion Rising, February 14. This year's campaign focused on wage equality, an end to violence against women and children, as well as the resumption of peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front.
DAR speeds up land distribution in Luisita −
DYLAN REYES
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN Reform (DAR) has ordered the immediate coverage of a combined 727-hectare land in Hacienda Luisita following the distribution of land titles to farmers of the sprawling 6,443-hectare Tarlac estate. Agrarian Reform Chief Rafael Mariano declared a 374-hectare property be covered for acquisition due to the failure of the Luisita Realty Corp. (LRC) and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) to completely develop the area since it was converted for industrial use in 1996. Mariano is the former chair of farmers’ group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP). Local farmers’ group Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) petitioned for the coverage of the LRC and RCBC lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) after it remained idle in the past 20 years. Under the current agrarian reform program, DAR can revoke conversion clearances if the landowners failed to completely implement a development plan within the five-year period after the issuance of a conversion order. Mariano additionally directed the distribution of the 353-hectare land registered to the Cojuangco clans’ Tarlac Development Corp. (TADECO) that had been exempted for coverage and were not included in the 4,915-hectare land distributed to some 6,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries based on the 2012 Supreme Court ruling. The said landholdings have been subjects of violent ejections of farmers and enclosure activities by TADECO, according to AMBALA Chairperson Florida Sibayan. “Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had set camp inside these lands together with alleged goons of the Cojuangco clan who ensure the eviction of farmers from ‘bungkalan’ fields,” she added. DAR issued a notice of coverage on the TADECO property in 2013 to which the company opposed on grounds that the said lands were not agricultural. Mariano explained that recent ocular inspection and investigation reveal that the property
can be covered by DAR for distribution to farmer-beneficiaries and that the department’s jurisdiction is valid. Land for the tillers After almost four years, 111 farmers who were previously disqualified from land distribution under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III received certificates of land ownership awards (CLOAs) from DAR on February 14 in Brgy. Balete. The beneficiaries have been struggling for land ownership since 2013 after they were excluded from the agrarian reform program for refusing to sign the Application to Purchase and Farmers’ Undertaking (APFU). An APFU acts as a promissory note and requires farmer-beneficiaries to pay the amortization and real estate taxes of the land. Mariano recently suspended the guidelines that ask farmers to sign this document before they receive their CLOAs, citing that the APFU is ‘arbitrary, discriminatory and self-incriminating.’ Each farmer received 6,600 square meters of allocated lands found in the villages of Asturias, Bantog, Cut-cut, Mabilog, Mapalacsiao, Motrico, Pando, and Parang. “Peasants have been waiting for genuine agrarian reform in Hacienda Luisita for decades already because the current land reform programs are sham and they cater to landlord-oligarchs and big businesses only,” Sibayan said. Amid the actions of DAR in the disputed sugar plantation, KMP Secretary General Antonio Flores called for the enactment of an agrarian policy that caters to the needs of farmers and stressed the need for economic reforms that favor rural development. “The government should pass House Bill 555 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB) to eliminate all forms of oppression and exploitation of farmers,” Flores said. If implemented, GARB will break up land monopoly and implement free, fair, just and equitable distribution of lands to farmers within a five-year period, he added. −
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LATHALAIN
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M U L A PA M A N TA S A N PAT U N G O N G L A N S A N G A N ITO ANG PAMBANSANG UNIBERSIDAD AT KARAPAT-DAPAT LAMANG NA MAPARITO ANG MGA PAMBANSANG MINORYA.
PAGTATASA SA UNANG TERMINO NI UP DILIMAN CHANCELLOR MICHAEL TAN −
CAMILLE GUADALUPE LITA
Mula sa lansangan na lunan ng mga mobilisasyon ng iba’t ibang sektor, naging espasyo rin ang UP upang paigtingin ang mga labang ito sa nakaraang termino ni Chancellor Michael Tan. Malaki ang naging ambag ng pagiging dalubhasa ni Tan sa larangan ng Antropolohiya at Agham Panlipunan sa mas makataong lapit nito sa pamamahala. Tampok na rito ang taunang Lakbayan, kung saan halos 3,500 na katutubo mula sa malalayong bahagi ng bansa ang naglakbay patungong Maynila upang igiit ang karapatang pantao at sariling pagpapasya. Nagsilbing tahanan ng mga Lakbayani ang iba’t ibang gusali ng UP at hinigpitan din ang seguridad para sa kanila. Subalit nang magprotesta ang mga Lakbayani sa harap ng US Embassy noong 2016, binomba sila ng tubig at walang habas na sinagasaan ng trak ng pulis. Agad itong kinundena ni Tan bilang insulto na rin sa pamantasan ang pandarahas sa mga bisitang Lakbayani. “Ilang karahasan na ang naranasan ko mula pa noong Martial Law, ngayon lang ako nakaranas ng ganitong kalabisan—laban sa mga katutubo,” ani Tan. Subalit sinundan pa ang kalabisang ito ng estado nang paburan ng Korte Suprema ang pagpapalibing kay dating diktador Ferdinand Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani. Agad itong tinutulan ng UP kasama ng iba pang mga pamantasan sa kilos-protesta sa Katipunan, kung saan isa si Tan sa mga nanguna, maging sa sumunod na malalaking rally. Isang malaking insulto ang pagpapalibing kay Marcos lalo na’t marami sa mga naging biktima noong Batas Militar ay mga estudyante at guro ng UP. Mananatiling tangan ng pamantasan ang sulo ng pakikibaka na lubos na nag-alab noong Diliman Commune ng 1971, kung saan nagbarikada ang UP laban sa pasismo ng rehimeng Marcos. Sa pagtahak ni Tan patungong lansangan tangan ang sulo, binuksan at mas inilapit niya ang UP sa taumbayan. Sa ganitong paraan, napupunan ng UP hindi lamang ang karakter nito kundi ang tungkuling paglingkuran ang sambayanan.
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LUNES 13 MARSO 2017
Mariing inililiko ng kakulangan ng suporta ng gobyerno ang karakter ng UP—nanatili sa termino ni Chancellor Michael Tan ang Socialized Tuition System (STS), at maging ang pagtaas ng matrikula at iba pang bayarin. Tinitingnan ngayon ng pamahalaan ang sistemang STS bilang posibleng pamalit sa libreng matrikula, kung saan may P8.3 bilyong karagdagang pondo na inilaan ng Kongreso para sa mga pampublikong pamantasan. Isinasantabi nito ang katotohanang marami sa mga estudyante ang ginigipit ng sistema, tulad ng pila sa UP ng apela dahil sa misbracketing, at pagkuha ng loan para sa bayarin. Bagaman maagap si Tan sa pag-uusog ng deadline ng matrikula at pag-apruba sa apela ng mga estudyante para sa full tuition loan, hindi maaring umasa na lamang ang unibersidad sa ganitong panandaliang solusyon. Bukod sa mga bayarin, malaking problema pa rin ang enrolment sa UP—mula sa kakulangan sa klase hanggang sa pagpalya ng Student Academic Information System (SAIS) na muntik nang humalili sa Computerized Registration System (CRS). Dahil sa direktang konsultasyon ni Tan, napabagal ang pagpasok ng SAIS sa Diliman, ayon kay Propesor Ramon Guillermo ng Congress of Teachers and Educators for Nationalism and Democracy. Sa halip na pumailalim sa SAIS, naglaan ng P6.5 milyong pondo ang Office of the Chancellor upang paunlarin ang CRS ng UPD. Bukod sa sistema ng enrolment, tila napabayaan din ang suporta para sa atleta ng bayan. Kahit pa nakapagtatag si Tan ng Office of Varsity and Sports Affairs, hindi pa rin lubos na natugunan ang mga suliranin ng mga atleta. Mula sa ipinangakong stadium para sa dating Track Oval, nananatiling nakatiwangwang ang binungkal na lupain sa halip na pakinabangan. Dahil dito, kinailangan nilang magrenta sa iba pang lugar mula sa sariling bulsa, at umaasa na lamang sa reimbursement.
WE ARE LEARNING TO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER, TO OPEN OUR CAMPUS, AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR HEARTS, TO THE BROADER COMMUNITIES WE BELONG TO, AND TO THE NATION.
Sa pagsisimula ng panibagong termino ni Chancellor Michael Tan, kakailanganin niyang pag-alabin pa ang sulo upang maipagpatuloy ang mga proyektong hindi niya naisakatuparan sa kaniyang unang termino. Tila buwelo lamang ang unang termino ni Tan. Maikli ang tatlong taon upang sugpuin ang mga problemang kinakaharap ng UP bilang unibersidad at komunidad. Sa usapin ng mga nasunog na gusali, naglaan na ng P5 milyong pondo ang Office of the Chancellor para sa pagpapagawa ng CASAA. Nasimulan na rin ang pagpapagawa sa natupok na Alumni Center. Pagtutuunan din ng pansin ang pagpapagawa ng mga gusali gaya ng dagdag na dormitoryo at sports complex. Ngunit hanggang ngayon, nakabinbin pa rin ang mga plano para sa Faculty Center (FC). Ayon kay Tan, isa sa pinakamalaking pagkukulang niya ang hindi natapos na pagsasaayos ng FC. Dagdag pa niya, kasalukuyan pang itinatayo ang mga bagong gusali para sa iba’t-ibang disiplina ng Inhinyeriya, kung kaya matatagalan pa ang paglipat ng Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura sa Melchor Hall kung saan sila dapat nakabase, ayon sa Land Use Plan ng 1994. Matapos ang mga sunog, kailangan ding tumindig si Tan sa usapin ng libreng edukasyon sa UP. Panandaliang solusyon lamang ang pag-aapruba ng tuition loans at deadline extension. Posible ang implementasyon ng libreng edukasyon sa kolehiyo sa paggigiit at pagpapanagot sa gobyerno, kung maglalaan ito ng sapat na pondo nang malaya sa pangungulimbat at maling paggamit. Mula pamantasan patungong lansangan, tangan pa rin ni Tan ang sulo ng UP Diliman sa kabila ng mga balakid at tangkang pagliko. Subalit hamon sa pagpapatuloy ng kaniyang liderato na lalong mapag-alab ang liyab ng UP—upang higit pang mapaglingkuran ng pamantasan ang sambayanan.
THERE’S NO SUPPORT FOR THE MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE NG BAYAN… KULANG NA KULANG PA RIN ANG SUPORTA [NG GOBYERNO] SA MGA ISKOLAR NG BAYAN.
KUHA NI JIRU RADA
TANGAN MULI NI CHANCELLOR MICHAEL TAN ang sulo ng UP Diliman sa muling pagkakaluklok bilang chancellor. Batbat ng balakid ang landas na tinahak nito, mula sa mga tangkang pagliko tulad ng pagbabago ng General Education (GE) Curriculum at akademikong kalendaryo, hanggang sa sunud-sunod na sunog sa mahahalagang gusali tulad ng Faculty Center (FC), College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association (CASAA) Food Center, at Alumni Center. Sa paglingon sa kaniyang mga hakbang, nanatili ang tindig ni Tan sa kapakanan ng unibersidad at ang liderato nito na paglingkuran ang sambayanan. Tangan ang sulo kahanay ang komunidad ng UP, mainit nitong tinanggap ang pambansang minorya sa nakaraang Lakbayan. Pasulong ding hinarap ni Tan ang iba’t ibang isyu ng lipunan sa paglahok nito sa mga mobilisasyon sa lansangan, tulad ng pagtutol sa paglilibing sa diktador na si Ferdinand Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani. Sa pagsisimula ng kaniyang panibagong termino, marami pang haharapin at mga hakbang na dapat tahakin si Tan. Taliwas sa pampublikong karakter ng UP, nananatili pa rin ang Socialized Tuition System (STS) na nagkakamal ng salapi mula sa mga estudyante upang punan ang pagkukulang ng pamahalaan sa badyet ng pamantasan. Hamon kay Tan na igiit kasama ng mga estudyante ang libreng edukasyon, gayundin ang mga pangmatagalang solusyon sa iba pang mga suliranin ng UP. −
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THE COMMON DENOMINATOR: KAILANGANG MAY PUSO. YOU CANNOT WORK AS A TEAM IN UPD KUNG WALA KA NITO.
Magaling na pangkat ang susi sa likod ng isang matagumpay na liderato. Para kay Chancellor Michael Tan, kaakibat nito ang pagkakaroon ng puso hindi lang sa pamantasan kundi sa buong komunidad ng UP Diliman. Kahit pa naging Chancellor na si Tan, hindi siya nakalilimot dumaan sa kaniyang dating opisina sa Kolehiyo ng Agham Panlipunan at Pilosopiya (KAPP). Ngunit kahit pa nanggaling si Tan sa larangan ng Arts and Humanities, nananatili pa rin ang kakulangan sa suportang pinansyal at imprastraktura para rito lalo pa’t nasunog ang Faculty Center. Maayos man ang relasyon ni Tan sa kaniyang mga dating empleyado, marami pa rin sa mga empleyado ng UP ang kontraktwal at may kakarampot na benepisyo. Noong 2012, mayroong 3,422 ang kontraktwal sa buong UP System, ayon sa tala ng Association of Contractual Employees in UP. Hindi sapat ang sweldong P616 kada araw na kulang sa P1,119 na living wage ng isang pamilyang may anim na miyembro, ayon sa IBON Foundation. Hindi rin sapat ang grocery allowance at rice subsidy dahil marami pa ang pangangailangan ng isang manggagawa tulad ng benepisyong pangkalusugan at edukasyon para sa mga anak na hindi matugunan ng mababang sweldo at kakarampot na benepisyo. Malaki rin ang epekto ng kakulangan ng faculty lalo na tuwing magsisimula ang panibagong akademikong taon. Nag-uugat sa kakulangan ng faculty ang kakulangan ng mga klaseng binubuksan tuwing enrolment lalo na sa General Education (GE) subjects. Dagdag balakid pa ang planong pagbababa ng GE units mula 45 patungong 21 units, dahilan sa matatalakay na umano sa senior high school ang ibang mga aralin. Ayon kay Tan, plano nitong magbukas ng 800 faculty items upang mabawasan ang bigat ng trabaho ng mga guro, at mapigilan ang pagbabawas ng GE units.
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KULTURA LUNES 13 MARSO 2017
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− ARJAY IVAN GOROSPE ANDREA JOYCE LUCAS
In Dulaang UP (DUP)’s take on Faust* by the German playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the devil is beguiling because of his fair face and his words. His skepticism resonates with man’s own disillusionment. Mephisto pits his cynicism against God’s idealism towards man’s fate, remarking, “Naging mas maganda sana ang buhay niya kung hindi mo binigyan ng kaliwanagan ng isip na tinawag niyang katwiran.” God gambles with the devil, and the play presents the audience with Goethe’s question: could man save himself or is he fated to fall? Enter Faust, the titular protagonist, already in despair at the long life which has failed to bring him satisfaction despite all the knowledge he has accumulated. Faust’s plight echoes Mephisto’s
Devil's Advocate insights about man’s unhappy existence despite his free will and rationality. Mephisto vows to serve Faust in life and show him things he has never seen before, in exchange for Faust’s soul after death. The pact with the devil was signed in blood, and the two began their journey. In opposition to the devil’s cynical perspective, the play offered an alternative point of view by introducing Margarita, a devout and pure young woman. She draws the attention of Faust upon meeting him in his journey. But whereas Faust derives pleasure from capturing her affections, Margarita only subjected herself to suffering, for she overlook how corrupted he has become. Margarita held on to her faith despite the loss of her family and the scorn of other people.
Faust eventually becomes torn between the influence of both Mephisto and Margarita—should he abandon his faith or should he hold fast to it? How should he proceed with his journey, and what of his deal with the devil? It is at this point that the curtains fall. DUP’s Faust presents Goethe’s conundrum about humanity and proceeds to make this question more nuanced—it does not settle for giving definite answers. When the play ends, the audience is urged to look inwards and negotiate the answer for themselves. The merits of DUP’s adaptation lie in the inbetween, in the journey undertaken. Goethe may have written his opus as a commentary to society during the 18th century but his concerns remain valid to this day. DUP attempts to prove
its relevance to a Filipino audience by drawing parallels to the situation in the country, alluding to contemporary issues like President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. DUP’s Faust echoed Goethe’s emphasis on action instead of reflection; the play forwards a subtle criticism on the president’s bombastic statements and promises by showing the audience a glimpse of the grim realities that belie Duterte’s big words. DUP’s Faust is not merely a translation, nor is it just an attempt to render Goethe’s work in terms of local humor and conventions. It offers itself up as a vehicle for discourse about the problems of our time. *Faust is a production for the 41st theater season of DUP, adapted by Rody Vera, directed by Jose Estrella, and staged at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater. −
Pait at Bait: Paghihiganti at Hustisya sa Oresteia* −
SANNY BOY D. AFABLE
Iniilawan ng mga sulo ang kakaibang entablado. Wala itong bubungan at napaliligiran ng mga pamilyar na gusali. Tila iniwan itong bakas ng apoy sa digmaang Trojan at dinadala ang mga manonood sa isang polis ng Greece. Sa loob ng dalawang oras, naging tanghalan ng mga panaghoy at tula ang natupok na CASAA. Isa lamang ang piniling tanghálan sa maraming elementong “binali” at binigyangbuhay ng UP Dulaang Laboratoryo sa adaptasyon nito ng “Oresteia,” isang libreng pagtatanghal hango sa mga akdang trahedya nina Aeschylus at Sophocles. Umiikot ang dula sa paghihiganti at pagkakamit ng hustisya sa loob ng isang pamilya. Inialay ni Agamemnon ang kaniyang anak sa mga diyos para sa digmaan, dahilan upang patayin siya ng asawang si Klytemnestra. Makalipas ang ilang taon, sa sulsol ng diyos na si Apollo, pinatay ni Orestes ang kaniyang ina upang ipaghiganti ang sinapit ng ama. Dahil dito, inusig si Orestes ng mga “furia” o diyosa ng paghihiganti. Upang tuldukan ang sigalot, lumikha ng korte si Athena, ang diyosa ng karunungan, at dininig ang kaso ni Orestes. Eksperimental ang dula. Pinagsama-sama
sa iskrip ang wikang Filipino, Ingles, Bisaya, Hindi at kolokyal. Sa Oresteia, kumakain ng Crossini Rolls si Athena, at marunong magselfie ang mga diyos. Gayundin, nagdala ng pananabik sa mga manonood ang bukas na tanghalan—presensya ni Apollo sa itaas ng puno at ang paglitaw ng dambuhalang anino ni Klytemnestra sa isang gusali. Bahagi ito ng layunin ng direktor na si Guelan Luarca na hamunin ang konsepto ng mga “classics” tulad ng Oresteia ni Aeschylus at Electra ni Sophocles—mga akdang tinatangi bilang may mataas na antas at halos sagradong relik sa panitikan. Hamon sa mga alagad ng sining na bumagtas ng mga bagong ideya, at yumabong, imbis na magpakahon sa mga itinuturing na classic. Walang classic para kay Luarca, “mayroon lamang mga tekstong malakas ang tinig na kumakausap sa atin sa kasalukuyan.” Nananatili ngang “kumakausap sa kasalukuyan” ang tema ng trahedya: ang siklo ng karahasan, ang relasyon ng pamilya at bayan, at ang pagkakaiba ng personal na paghihiganti sa tunay na katarungan. Sa harap ng kaliwa’t
*Ang “Oresteia” ay undergraduate thesis production nina Rose Camacho, Ralph Oliva, at Roco Sanchez na pawang mga gumanap din sa dula. Itinanghal ito noong ika-25 hanggang 28 ng Pebrero.
Kuha ni Adrian Kenneth Gutlay | Disenyo ng pahina ni Charles Maquiling
kanang patayan at kawalan ng paglilitis bunsod ng giyera kontra-droga, pagbabalik ang Oresteia sa rasyunalidad ng hustisya ni Athena—ang karapatan ng nasasakdal sa isang paglilitis, at ang pagdinig sa magkabilang argumento. Ngunit hindi ginagarantiya ang hustisya sa loob ng korte ng mga diyos. May matapang na pasaring ang furia sa pagtestigo ni Apollo para kay Orestes: “Sa korte ng diyos, swerte ang may backer ng diyos. Sa korte ng diyos, ang lohika ay lohika ng mga diyos.” Matagumpay na tinangay ng dula ang mga manonood sa katotohanan ng kwento, habang iniaangkop ang mitolohiyang Griyego sa nananatiling tanong sa kasalukuyan: kanino nagmumula ang hustisya? Bilang reinterpretasyon ni Luarca sa Oresteia at paghamon sa nosyon ng classics, hindi inako ni Athena ang
kapangyarihang humusga kay Orestes. Sa halip, ibinaba niya ito sa mga mamamayan na siyang humatol na maysala si Orestes. ‘Di umano, “nanaig ang bait” sa “pighati at pait.” Malinaw ang ipinakikita ng dula: sa moral na tinig ng mamamayan nagmumula ang konsepto ng hustisya sa lipunan, at hindi sa anumang diyos na nagwiwika ng paglupig. −
LUNES 13 MARSO 2017
KULTURA
9
Yanig
ng Tindig
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Pebrero ang buwan ng pag-ibig at sining kung kaya naman laan ang pangalawang linggo nito sa gabi-gabing rakrakan sa UP Diliman na may partikular na layunin taun-taon. Kilala ang UP Fair bilang isa sa mga pinakasikat na college fairs sa bansa. Dahil hindi lang eksklusibo sa mga taga-UP, sadyang pinaglalaanan ito ng oras at pamasahe. Gaya ng mga ikot jeep at iba pang parte ng student guide, pagkakakilanlan na ng pamantasan ang UP Fair kung saan tampok ang mga himig ng mga musikero, mapa-bagong sibol man o namamayagpag na sa industriya. Minsan sa may Kalayaan Nagsimula sa isang simpleng pagtitipuntipon sa Sunken Garden noong dekada ’80 ang UP Fair. Libre ang bawat pagtatanghal, walang bakod at namamayani ang diwa ng temang nais patampukin. Taglay nito ang radikal na kasaysayang may layong imulat ang mga estudyante sa mga isyung kinahaharap ng mga Pilipino sa loob at labas ng unibersidad. Nasa porma ng protesta sa diktadurang Marcos ang mga unang UP Fair. Nagsilbi itong patunay na hindi natinag ng rehimen ang diwang makabayan ng pamantasan. Ito ang nagbukod sa UP Fair sa iba pang mga college fair sa bansa — dahilan para maging tradisyong daluhan ng mga kabataan taun-taon. Mga grupong mula mismo sa unibersidad ang karamihan sa mga nagtatanghal sa UP Fair. Dito unang nagtanong sa mga bata ang Asin at unang nagyaya sa alapaap ang Eraserheads. Taglay ng kanilang musika ang himnong malay sa namamayaning kultura at isyu sa lipunan. Bakas pa rin sa mga bagong musikero at banda ang tatak-UP, gaya ng The General Strike at TUBAW. Ikinwento ng awitin ng Pugon ng The General Strike ang trahedya sa pabrika ng Kentex noong 2015. Gayundin, pangalawang layunin lamang ng
Dibuho ni John Kenneth Zapata
SHEILA ABARRA
orihinal na diwa ng UP Fair ang paglikom ng pondo. Una pa ring hangarin ang pagpapataas ng kamalayang panlipunan ng bawat manonood. Taon-taong tumataas ang bakod at ang presyo ng tiket ng UP Fair. Lumihis ang interes ng mga nag-oorganisa ng UP Fair: nasentro sa pagkalap ng malaking pondo at naiwan sa labas ng bakod ang mga usaping marapat bigyang-pansin. Kung kaya naman naging parte ng malaking kabalintunaan na kinaharap nito ang papaunting bilang ng lumalahok mula sa mismong komunidad ng pamantasan, gaya ng mga banda ng mag-aaral at UP Manininda. Hindi rin nakaligtas ang UP Fair sa mga nais humadlang sa pagpapasinaya nito. Muntikang hindi matuloy ang fair noong 2011 bunsod ng mataas na fee para sa mga organisasyon at maninindang nais maging bahagi nito. Gayunman, tila may pangakong pagbabago ang UP Fair ngayong taon. Masasalamin ang pagbabagong tindig nito hindi lamang sa titulo ng bawat gabi kundi sa mismong mga banda at musikerong kabilang sa fair. Nabigyan ng puwang ang mga “homegrown” na mga banda gaya ng Plagpul, at ang Karl Ramirez at ang Pordalab. Ay, may naririnig akong bagong sigaw, e ikaw? “Sabayan ang Beat” ang tema ng UP Fair ngayong taon na may pakahulugang “Sa bayan ang beat” — mula sa masa at para sa masa. Hinihimok ng UP Fair ang mga iskolar ng bayan na sumabay sa beat ng pagkilos at pakikibaka para sa ating mga karapatan. Kaiba sa nakaraang UP Fair kung saan ang Ways and Means Committee ang nagorganisa, bumuo ng ad hoc committee ang University Student Council ngayon sa pamumuno nina Nikki Esguerra (Mass Media Committee Head) at Donn Bernal
(Basic Student Services Head). Mayroon ding itinalagang panawagan ang bawat gabi ng fair. Isinusulong ng unang gabi ng fair ang panawagan sa repormang agraryo. Pinamagatang Mabaya, na nangangahulugang “pula” sa salitang Ilokano, pinupunto nito na hindi pa rin maampat ang pagdanak ng dugo bunsod ng hindi matapos-tapos na karahasan at pagpatay sa mga magsasaka. Pinaslang kamakailan si Renato Anglao, lider ng Tribal Indigenous Oppressed Group Association sa Bukidnon. Tampok naman sa Haraya, ang pangalawang gabi, ang panawagan para sa libreng edukasyon. Hindi kabilang ang UP sa bibigyan ng libreng edukasyon dahil sa sistemang socialized tuition. Malinaw na dapat itong pag-usapan dahil kailangang bigyan ng hustisya ang biktima ng iskemang ito gaya ni Kristel Tejada. Nakasentro ang huling tatlong gabi sa sining na malaya: Elements—freedom of information; Cosmos—freedom of expression; at Roots—freedom for culture and the arts. Bumaba rin ang presyo ng tiket at minimum fee naman para prangkisang komersyal, dahilan upang mas maraming booths ng mga UP Manininda at UP Workers’ Union ang magkaroon ng pagkakataong makalahok. Kapansin-pansin para sa mga baguhang dumalo ng fair ang manaka-nakang panawagang binabanggit ng emcees at mga bokalista ng mga bandang tumugtog. Iba’t iba ang naging komento ng madla, ngunit ang mahalaga’y naitaas ang mga makabuluhang tema. Sa muling pagkikita, mayro’ng dadalhin Paglikha ng tindig ang mismong pagharap ng UP Fair sa mga krisis ng lipunan. Ang mga komentaryong maririnig sa musika’t sining gabi-gabi, ang porma ng kritisismong kumakatawan sa pagiging mapanuri ng pamantasan.
Ayon kay Pierre Macherey, isang kritikong Pranses, mayroong sosyoekonomikong kalahagahan ang sining dahil malaki ang ambag nito sa pagtataas ng diwang malay sa iba’t ibang perspektiba. May pananagutan ang sining sa anumang namamayaning pilosopiya. Masasalamin ito sa tindig ng unibersidad ukol sa pamilyang Marcos sa paglipas ng panahon. Diktadurang Marcos ang nagbigkis sa pamantasan upang magsagawa ng kauna-unahang UP Fair at, nang ilibing ang diktador kamakailan sa Libingan ng mga Bayani, muling tinipa ang gitara at hinampas ang tambol ng pagtutol. Sa pagkakataong ito, hindi lamang UP ang kumilala sa kakayahan ng sining, kundi pati na rin ang buong bansang nakapakinig ng himnong ipinasa sa mga sumunod na henerasyon. Inawit ng bansa ang luksa, hindi para sa dating diktador, kundi para sa bawat buhay na binawi ng rehimeng Marcos. Tila nagkaroon ng UP Fair sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa—nagdaos ng programa sa Luneta, Davao, Laguna at iba pang mga probinsya. Ganito ang kapangyarihan ng sining at taglay nito ang prinsipyong mapagbigkis ang lipunan. Gayundin, ayon kay Mao Zedong sa kaniyang talumpati sa Yan’an Forum, taong 1942, hindi posible ang tagumpay ng pagbabago kung walang pakikisangkot ang kultura at sining. Malaki ang ambag ng sining ng mga kultural na pagtitipon sa paglikha ng diwa ng bawat manonood. Kung kaya, marapat lamang na taglay ng mga ito ang bawat isyung panlipunan sa kasalukuyan. Hindi ito ang tipo ng kantang lumalabas sa kabilang tainga, bagkus, nananatili’t kumakalabog sa isipan at agam-agam ng bawat nakisabay sa beat. −
Disenyo ng pahina ni Charles Maquiling
10
opinyon
LUNES 13 MARSO 2017
Karupukan ng Selda −
Elizabeth Magpantay
Minsa’y ako’y naging bilanggo. Sa pag-ibig nga lang. Bakit ako bilanggo? Kasi nasa ipinagbabawal na relasyon ako. Tila ilegal na droga ‘yung sinisinta ko. Ipinagbabawal ‘pagkat pareho kami ng kasarian, subalit ako’y nahumaling. Lumaya ako. Nagtapat sa mga taong malapit sa’kin. Nagtapat sa kanya. Matamis ang mga salita na namutawi sa mga labi n’ya nang sabihin nya ang “oo.” Ngunit mas matamis ang mga labi n’ya nang halikan ko. Madami ang nagtatali sa’kin sa mga rehas, nagkukubli sa akin sa mga piitan: pagkahon sa mga stereotype ng kasarian at pagkababae; kadena ng limitasyong pinansyal; mga boses na nagsasabing itigil ko na ang pamamahayag dahil sa karahasan sa mga midya ngayon. Marami sa atin ang nakukulong sa ating mga sariling bilangguan, maging literal man o hindi, ngunit sa kadenang pinansyal at diskrimnisayon ako tila hindi makalaya, gaano pa man kalakas aking itong naisin. Hindi mga nag-iisang at hiwa-hiwalay na isyu ang diskriminasyon sa mga kababaihan. Bahagi ito ng mas malaking usapin ng lipunan na nagtatrato sa mga babae bilang mas mababang uri ng mga tao kumpara sa lalaki. Kahit pa man untiunting may kapangyarihang pulitikal at pang-ekonomiko ang mga kababaihan, hindi madaling mabura ang deka-
dekadang epekto nito sa lipunan ngayon. Kung pag-uusapan ang mga bilanggo, isa na sa pinakatanyag ngayon si Leila de Lima. Walang kaparis ang nangyaring pagpipiyesta ng kalakhan ng Senado at Kongreso, maging ng midya, nang ipaglantaran ang kanyang personal na buhay. Bahagi ng nagdulot nito ay ang pagbangga ng senador sa mga makapangyarihang primaryang binubuo ng mga kalalakihan. Kung may paratang ng krimen, hindi na kailangan pang sirain ang pagkatao ng akusado, lalo na ang pagkababae, upang mahatulan o maabswelto, o upang kilatisin ang pagkakasangkot sa krimen. Si de Lima ang bida sa kanyang kwento. Siya ang nag-iisang sisidlan ng katarungan at oposisyon. Mahalaga ang oposisyon sa anumang maayos na tunggalian ng mga ideya. Subalit ang oposisyon ay dapat nakaangkla sa mga isyu ng mga batayang sektor. Ako mismo ay nagulat nang sabihin ni de Lima na siya raw ang unang bilanggong pulitikal ng bansa sa ilalim ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Duterte. Hindi ko mawari kung nagbubulag-bulagan ang senador o ganoon na lamang kalayo sa katotohanan ang kaniyang mga pananaw. Sa halip na talakayin ang pagkasangkot ng senador sa mga isyu sa Bilibid at ang mga kaso sa ilalim ng kanyang panunungkulan bilang Kalihim
Subalit ang oposisyon ay dapat nakaangkla sa mga isyu ng mga batayang sektor.
ng Department of Justice, madadaig pa ang mga programang showbiz sa hapon ang pang-iintriga at pasikut-sikot na diskusyong lumalayo sa tunay na isyu na matututnghayan sa bawat pagdinig ng kaso at imbestigasyon sa Senado. At habang abala ang lahat sa kaguluhang ito, maraming bilanggong pulitikal ang hindi pa nakakalaya. Ito ay sa kabila ng mga pangako ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na papalayain sila. Kalimutan na siguro ang humigit kumulang 400 sa iba’t ibang mga kulungan sa buong bansa. ‘Di bale na ang mga pinagkakaitan ng mga karapatangpantao sa loob ng piitan. Minsa’y walang paglilitis; minsa’y may pagtatanim ng mga armas para makapagsampa ng gawa-gawang kaso. Ang oposisyon at political dissent ay hindi krimen. Ang bawat araw ng mga bilanggong pulitikal ay isang araw na ipinagkait sa piling ng kanilang mga pamilya at mga mahal sa buhay. Ito ay pagsupil sa tunay na diwa ng demokrasya. Ang pagkababae ay hindi maaaring gamitin bilang sandata upang siya’y usigin, bilang instrumento ng bulag na pagsunod. Hindi tunay na magiging malaya ang lipunan hanggang may mga biktima ng diskriminasyon at pagsusupil sa mga karapatang-pantao. −
Lakad pasulong −
John Daniel Boone
Hihipan ng kadete ang silbato, at parang mga langgam na bubuo ng mga hanay ang mahigit limampung estudyante sa harap niya. Sisigaw siya at maririnig ang malalim niyang tinig sa buong quadrangle na pinagdarausan ng klase. “Patakdaaaa, ‘kad!” Sabay-sabay namang iaangat ng mga estudyante ang kanilang mga binti at magmamartsa sa saliw ng kaliwakanan-kaliwa. Isang Amerikanong Koronel ang lolo ko sa tuhod noong panahon ng Hapon: mataas ang ranggo, maimpluwensya, pinakikinggan. Gusto ko rin sanang maging maimpluwensya at pinakikinggan, pero ayaw kong maging sundalo. Kaya peryodismo ang daang tinahak ko. Lampa ako, payat, at magugulatin kaya ni minsan, ‘di sumagi sa isip kong maging sundalo. Baka sa isang pito ng komandante, mapatalon ako. Bukod pa ito sa mas malalim pang dahilan kung bakit hindi ako pumasok sa akademiyang pang-militar: ayaw ko kasing sumusunod sa utos. Bunsod din nito, hindi ko pinasok ang pagiging munting sundalo sa ilalim ng Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), na isa sa mga komponent ng National Service Training Program (NSTP) na isa sa mga rekisitos sa lahat ng mga magaaral sa kolehiyo. Gaya ng mga sundalo, tinuturuan silang sumunod sa kumpas ng kamay, huni ng silbato, at sa malakas at
Sa huli’ t huli, hindi dapat masukat sa pagsunod sa silbato ang pag-ibig sa bayan. Iba ang tunay na disiplinado sa sunud-sunuran lamang.
matikas na tinig na naging sagisag na ng pagiging “disiplinado.” Kompulsaryong ipinatupad noong 1912, nilalayon ng ROTC na ikintal sa isip at damdamin ng mga mag-aaral ang pagibig sa bansa, dagdag pa ang pagiging reserbang pwersa sa sandatahang lakas kung sakaling dumating ang digmaan. Para maisakatuparan ito, sasailalim ang mga estudyante sa mga pagsasanay na katulad ng ginagawa ng mga sundalo. Ganito ang ikinukwento na hindi ko pinaniwalaan. Tagibang ang realidad na nakita ko. Muling pipito ang kadete. “Harap sa kanaaaan, ‘rap!” isisigaw niya, at walang palyang lahat ng mga estudyanteng kaharap niya ay haharap sa direksyon ng papalubog na araw. Binatbat ng samu’t saring isyu ang pagpapatupad ng ROTC na humantong sa tuluyang pagkabuwag nito taong 2002, mahigit 90 taon ang lumipas. Kabilang na sa mga isyung ito ang malalang korapsyon at pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan na humantong sa kamatayan, matapos ilantad ni Mark Welson Chua ng UST noong 2001. Nasa ikalawang taon noon sa kursong Mechanical Engineering si Chua nang isiwalat niya ang mga pananamantalang sinapit sa kamay ng mga kadete ng ROTC sa UST. Ilang linggo lang ang makalipas, natagpuan ang naaagnas at ‘dimakilalang bangkay ni Chua, palutanglutang sa Ilog Pasig, nakagapos nang
mahigpit ang binti at braso, nakabalot ng packing tape ang mukha. Sa labas ng mga pamantasan, ganito rin ang hindi kaaya-ayang mukha ng militar na umaabuso sa kapangyarihan. Ilang libong Pilipino na ang hinuli, tinortyur, ginahasa, at pinatay sa utos ng mga matataas na opisyal ng militar, dagdag pa ang mga nasa kanayunan na nawalan ng tirahan at lupang taniman. Lahat ng ito ay nagpapatuloy hanggang sa kasalukuyan at natutunghayan ko. Hindi ko na malalaman kung naging ganid rin sa kapangyarihan ang lolo ko. Gayunman, isa lang ang malinaw sa akin: sa parehas na balangkas ng pagsasanay ng ROTC at militar, napatutunayang hindi napaiigting ng dalawa ang pagmamahal sa bayan. Sa huli’t huli, hindi dapat masukat sa pagsunod sa silbato ang pag-ibig sa bayan. Iba ang tunay na disiplinado sa sunud-sunuran lamang. Lalo lang ipalalaganap ng ROTC ang kultura ng takot at pagiging uhaw sa kapangyarihan. Ang muling pagiging kompulsaryo nito ay malaking insulto sa lahat ng mga naging biktima ng karahasan sa ilalim nito. Hindi ako magiging sundalo tulad ng lolo ko. Ngunit mula sa hanay naming laksa-laksang nagmamartsa sa lansangan ay sisigaw ang tunay na kadete. Malakas, malinaw, at matikas, kasabay ng pagtaas ng mga kamao. “Ang tao, ang bayan. . .” “Ngayon ay lumalaban!” −
LAKBAYDIWA e u l a ca b i l i n g
Tulad ng dati Marso na pala. Tila kay bilis ng daloy ng panahon— hindi ko namalayang dalawang buwan na ang lumipas simula nang mag-2017 dahil sa dami ng naganap sa bansa. Talamak ang pamamaslang, karahasan, at pagpasa ng mga ‘di makataong palisiya sa kamara, gaya na lamang ng death penalty bill at proposal na pagbababa ng minimum age of criminal responsibility na tiyak dehado ang mga mahihirap at kabataan. Ngunit hindi na ito nakakagulat— matagal ng isyu ang kaso ng represyon at pandarahas ng mga mamamayan. Matagal nang isyu ang militarisasyon sa mga pamayanan ng mga katutubo, na mababakas sa kwento ng Tatang ko noong bata pa lang ako. Marso na. Bukas na rin ang komemorasyon ng pagkamatay ni Kristel Tejada, isang estudyante ng UP Manila na nagpakamatay matapos pwersahin siya ng administrasyon na lumiban muna sa klase gawa ng hindi pa bayad nitong matrikula sa pamantasan. Bagaman 2014 na nang pumasok ako sa UP, dala ko ang takot na baka hindi ako makabayad ng matrikula gaya ni Kristel— ang nanay at tatay ko ay boluntaryong guro sa mga paaralan para sa mga katutubong matatagpuan sa malalayong lugar. Apat na taon na ang nakalipas pero parang wala ring nagbago. Nagpalit-pangalan lamang ang socialized education program sa loob ng UP— tuloy pa rin ang dami ng bilang ng mga nagbabayad ng matrikula, marami pa rin ang pumipila sa loan board kahit nandun ang panganib na baka ‘di na mabayaran ito sa oras (gaya na lamang sa kaso ko). Kulang pa rin ang budget sa edukasyon— 2017 na ngunit natigil ang diskusyon kung karapatdapat pang gawing libre ang edukasyon, bagay na matagal nang napatunayang posible at abot kamay ng ating bansa. Marso 2017 na, ngunit ang mga isyu ay tulad pa rin ng dati: walang pag-unlad at kalunos-lunos pa ring kumukontra sa pag-alpas ng mga mamamayan. Ngunit kung may isang bagay man akong pinagpapasalamat sa taong ito, iyon ay ang nagpapatuloy na pangangalampag ng mga mamamayan upang makamit ang hustisya at tunay na pagbabago sa ilalim ng administrasyong ito. Sa kabila ng karahasan at pamamaslang, nananatiling matatag ang pagkakabigkis ng mga mamamayan sa tuwing dadagsain nila ang lansangan ng Mendiola o Liwasang Bonifacio. Sa mga susunod na araw, sana patuloy na magpanday ang mga mamamayan ng kanyang hanay upang tuluyan nang makaalpas mula sa rehas na bumibigkis sa kanya sa kahirapan. Bilang mga estudyante, sana magkaroon tayo ng oras upang usigin ang kapwa mag-aaral na sipatin ang mga reyalidad na bumabalot sa bansa, sa kabila ng midterm examinations at papers na kailangang ipasa sa ating mga guro at instruktor. Ika nga ng makatang si Sofia Viray: “Ang sama sa mundo’y may anyong pagsubok Sa tibay ng loob upang mapabantog, Di dapat magapi, dapat magtaguyod; Pagka’t sa pag-asa’y nauna ang lungkot.” −
LUNES 13 MARSO 2017
OPINYON
11
Let’s Unite! / SAVE GE \ Reject 21 on the 20th! Statement of UP SAGIP GE, March 11
Members of the University Council (UC) of UP Diliman will decide on the proposed General Education (GE) reforms on March 20 (Monday). With the proponents of the 21 unit GE Program (GEP) hell-bent on having it approved, there is a clear and present danger that the shortest and most abbreviated University-level GEP in the whole country may be imposed on UP Diliman. The joint ad hoc committee to review the UPD hybrid GEP and the UPD GE committee made recommendations on GE reforms last January 10 while the UPD Executive Committee also had its own last February 13. Both agreed to a minimum of 21 GE units as required courses but as regards the elective or program-prescribed ones, the joint committees proposed 6-24 units (i.e., 27 units minimum and 45 units maximum); and the UPD Executive Committee, 0-24 units (i.e., 21 units minimum and 45 units maximum). It is just common sense that the purpose of any GEP Reform should be oriented towards improving its ability to achieve its primary objectives. These are as follows: 1. Broaden intellectual and cultural horizons; 2. Hone critical and creative thinking; 3. Develop a passion for learning and scholarship; 4. Cultivate a high sense of intellectual and moral
integrity; and 5. Foster a commitment to nationalism and social justice. These objectives were developed with a deep sense for UP’s crucial role as a National University within the Philippine context. These were not distilled from any simple considerations of marketability and competitiveness but are founded on UP’s commitment to social change and its responsibility to the national community. Do the proposals to drastically and blindly reduce the GEP to either a minimum of 21 or 27 units allow it to more effectively reach its stated objectives for all UP students? On the one hand, the reduction of class hours to less than half will obviously reduce the time and opportunity of UP students to engage with and immerse themselves in these GE objectives. On the other hand, the proponents of a much reduced number of GE units clearly do not have any concrete and tested proposals which can reasonably offset the potential negative effects of this massive truncation of the UPD GEP. They cavalierly treat the objectives of the GEP as if these were passé and without relevance. Rather than working towards a more rational calibrated adjustment of the GEP based on a balanced assessment and a true concern for its improvement,
they are trying to force a shift which indiscriminately throws the baby out with the bath water. Just to pick out some examples from well-known universities in Asia and the US, The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has 54 units, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has 42 units, and Tsinghua University (China), 70 units. In the USA, Stanford has 36 units, Yale has 33 units, and MIT, 51 units. Moreover, there is no reason why the UPD GEP should be truncated so radically especially when the actual outcomes of the K to 12 Program is still a big question mark. The mode of delivery of GE subjects in UPD is currently a hybrid model consisting of a mix of core subjects and free electives distributed among three domains. The proposals reduce the number of elective courses to a minimum of six or none at all. This means that it is not only the richness of content but also the potential diversity of GE subjects which will be adversely affected by the drastic reduction of GE. If, for example, the colleges in the science and engineering disciplines decide to implement a 21-unit GE program, almost half of the UP Diliman student population (around 46 %) will be unable to choose any elective GE courses. The proponents
of the zero elective option are therefore basically calling for the abolition in their colleges of the hybrid system and a return to a fully prescribed GE Program without any evidence or proof that this latter is indeed a superior model. Core subjects included, various colleges and departments in UPD have developed 37 RGEP subjects in the Arts and Humanities domain (CAL, CMC, ARCH, CFA, MUSIC, CIS), 18 in Math, Science and Technology (ARCH, CS, ENGG, CHE) and 19 in Social Sciences and Philosophy (ARCH, CSSP, ASP, ECON, CIS, ENGG). These courses were developed with the firm advocacy, support and sponsorship of their respective departments. Aside from its impact on the viability of the hybrid system, proponents of the zero electives option demur any impact on budgets, faculty loading and employment on the teaching staff (particularly those who do not have tenure). UP Diliman should strive to have the best GE Program in the Philippines. History shows that it should take pride in its tradition of liberal education. The proposals for this drastic reduction show, at the very least, a lack of concern for evidence and argument and a deep disregard for the values of liberal education so essential to this university.
SIPAT Against the Dying Light −
PATRICIA LOUISE A. POBRE
UNIVERSITY AVENUE NOVEMBER 8, 2016
KaleidoSCOOP: A multi-perspective educational discussion on the SOGIE equality bill in the Philippines. When: 4 to 7 pm of March 23, 2017 Where: PCED Auditorium, UP School of Economics SOGIE Equality bill (House Bill 4982) is one of the most crucial bills yet to be passed in congress. Up to this day, many Filipinos are still reluctant opening their arms for the LGBT community due to the Filipino culture, tradition and beliefs. While gender inequality is still prevalent in the country, some researchers have found a relationship between LGBT inclusion and economic development. Moreover, we could now notice that a chunk of society is starting to embrace the LGBT community. This semester, in light of the Gender Month, Kapekonomiya, through a multi-perspective (social, cultural, political, and economic) discussion, hopes to present an overview of the SOGIE Equality bill and how it evolved to its current state in the Philippine setting.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN Christian King G. Saavedra Photojournalist