Philippine Collegian Issue 3

TOMO 91

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BLG. 3

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

Law freshies may appeal for refund of reservation fee

Balita

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[F]ailing Education Lathalain

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Rebolusyon sa Imahinasyon

Kultura

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman

ONLY AROUND 16 PERCENT OF ABOUT 70,000 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS pass the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) every year. However, not all of these “qualified UP students” would go on to enroll in the country’s national university.

During the proclamation and turn-over ceremony for this year’s UP Diliman (UPD) University Student Council, UP President Alfredo Pascual said the no-show rate among UPCAT passers are “consistent” across all socio-economic groups.

Recent data obtained by the Collegian from the UP Diliman (UPD) Office of the University Registrar (OUR) and Office of Scholarships and Student Services (OSSS), however, reveal what could be a more nuanced correlation between family income and the decision to enroll in the university.

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UPD UPCAT passers in UP Diliman UPD UPCAT passers not in UP Diliman * percentages does not include deferrals

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OPINYON

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

Illusions of Progress THE NATION IS A SLAVE TO CONTRASTS. The costs of water, electric power, oil and travel soar high, while the average daily wage of people remains stagnant. The government presents a thriving economy of consistent increases in gross domestic product, yet the poor cannot afford even the basic necessities and our national economy is still bound to its colonial masters.

With the start of this academic year, even students are not spared. Tuition hikes greeted the semester this June, after the Commission on Higher Education authorized fee increase among private colleges and universities.

For this year also, the government allocated only P297.7 billion for the education budget, when P334 billion is needed for the development of the K-12 project alone. Only 60 percent of the proposed P54.61 billion for state colleges and universities (SUCs) was approved.

To compensate for the scarce subsidy, educational institutions are forced to be self-sufficient through incomegenerating programs (IGPs). UP is not exempt in resorting to this compromise. The Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) is a clear byproduct of this attempt at selfsufficiency. It is a smokescreen for state abandonment by making

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PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN 2013 - 2014 Punong Patnugot Julian Inah Anunciacion Kapatnugot Victor Gregor Limon Patnugot sa Grapiks Ysa Calinawan Tagapamahala ng Pinansiya Gloiza Rufina Plamenco Panauhing Patnugot Piya Constantino Margaret Yarcia

Rosette Abogado students of a public institution shoulder the deficit.

Indeed, contrary to what President Aquino claims, the economic development trumpeted by his administration merely serves as an illusion, which becomes all the more necessary due to the government’s utter neglect of providing public goods and services and of protecting the

EDITOR’S PICK

The Philippine Collegian republishes distinguished photographs from its past issues that captured its YEARS tradition of critical and fearless journalism.

CHRONIC HIKES. 17 years ago, students were rallied under the same cause as today when groups protested the impending multitude of hikes (water, electricity, tuition hikes)

Photo by Nelissa Pagcanlungan November 19, 1996

national domestic interest against the whims of the world market.

Raising petroleum cost, through the Oil Deregulation Law, thus becomes a lazy solution to the adjustment of the oil price in the world market. The people are victim to the limitless price increase brought by the law that favours free market competition.

With other hikes in the market, the oil hike would add extra burden to the people.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) also proposed a P10 increase in MRT and LRT fare. It will lower the government subsidy for public transportation from P60 to P35.

The increase would also shoulder the debts incurred by these transportation companies.

Yearly, P6 to P9 billion of it is paid by commuters. The hike is a way of settling these debts faster. Railway commuters do not benefit from this increase even if it will lead to railway modernization. Public transportation must remain a government responsibility.

People are burdened on all sides with price hikes.

Due to depreciation of peso against the dollar, Meralco’s power rate rises. Similarly water companies Manila Water

and Maynilad also underwent price hikes even after a public consultation met with protests.

For the past 16 years, private companies owned these public utilities. The government benefits from the value added taxes by these companiues.

Private companies that run these utilities and social services remain unaffected as people are bombarded with the increase. By the strengthened partnership and increase in profit, these businesses thrive as majority of the people unjustly pay for the price hikes. The minimum daily wage becomes insufficient to bear these simultaneous increases.

The government however does not provide long term solutions to these hikes. Average wages of ordinary people remain low and unemployment remains high. The government not only allows but even encourages working overseas to bring in an influx of capital.

As Aquino’s State of the Nation Address nears, we expect another illusion of progress, another attempt to make us turn a blind eye to the stark contrast between our own dire conditions and the government’s press releases of economic development. Illusions can no longer deceive the people. ∞

Mga Kawani Mary Joy Capistrano Keith Richard Mariano Kimberly Ann Pauig Jiru Nikko Rada Emmanuel Jerome Tagaro Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon Paul John Alix Sirkulasyon Gary Gabales Amelito Jaena Mga Katuwang na Kawani Amelyn Daga Trinidad Gabales Gina Villas 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 Telefax 981-8500 lokal 4522 Online pkule1314@gmail.com www.philippinecollegian.org fb.com/philippinecollegian twitter.com/kule1314

BALITA

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

3

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

On Board

MIRRORED REALITIES Photo by Angerica Hainto

Reports on the June 20 BOR Meeting Kira Chan Students opposed to “antipoor” tuition and loan policies were disappointed on June 20, after the Board of Regents (BOR) failed to discuss the proposed reforms to the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) and amendments to the UP Code.

The university’s highest decisionmaking body instead deliberated upon the report of a fact-finding committee on the suicide of UP Manila (UPM) student Kristel Tejada, the proposed Arboretum conservation project, and other administrative matters.

‘Kristel Committee’ report According to a fact-finding committee, “cumulative stress” and “poor coping skills” caused Kristel Tejada to commit suicide three days after she was forced to go on a leave of absence.

Assigned into Bracket D of the STFAP, Tejada filed a leave of absence because she could not afford to pay the P300-per-unit tuition and her request for a tuition loan has been denied by the UPM loan board.

The committee is composed of UP Los Baños College of Arts and Sciences Dean, Ascuncion Raymundo, UP Diliman (UPD) College of Engineering Dean Aura Matias, UPD Communications Research Department Chair, Lourdes Portus and UPD Law Profesor Eduardo Labitag.

The committee recommended increasing the number of hired guidance counselors and training

UP Manila Professor Edberto Villegas spoke against repressive payment policies in UP Manila at the mobilization held in front of Quezon Hall while the Board of Regents (BOR) meeting was ongoing.

Students and Faculty from UP Diliman and UP Manila, together with communities from Pook Arboretum and C.P. Garcia, gathered to protest against the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program and the 2011 Land Use Plan.

members of the UP community to identify suicidal tendencies.

Student Regent Krista Iris Melgarejo however said the UP administration must not ignore the fact that “anti-poor” policies were primary factors which caused Kristel to take her own life. “Didn’t the effect of these policies cause ‘cumulative stress’ on her part?”

‘Virata School of Business’ Staff Regent Anna Razel Ramirez and Regent Reynato Puno questioned the renaming of College of Business Administration (CBA) to Cesar E.A. Virata School of Business (VSB), after receiving negative feedback from UP alumni.

“Virata was a pivotal personality in CBA [but] he is also associated with martial law,” said School of Business Student Council (SBSC) Chair, Wesly Paul Cortez.

Outgoing VSB Dean Ben Paul Gutierrez proposed the renaming in an August 30 CBA student assembly, where a number of students supported the proposal through their signatures. Gutierrez then submitted the petition to the BOR on March 15. The BOR approved the petition on April 12.

On June 19, the SBSC wrote a letter to Gutierrez, asking for an official statement on the procedure and reasoning behind the renaming.

Gutierrez will hold a public assembly on the first week of July.

The CBA’s new name also violates Republic Act 1059 which prohibits the naming of public institutions and places after living people.

Sectoral regents Melgarejo, Ramirez, and Faculty Regent

Lourdes Abadingo will present a position paper on the BOR’s next meeting on July 25.

Arboretum Conservation Project Melgarejo expressed concern that a Memorandum of Agreement for the UP Arboretum Conservation Project was confirmed by the BOR without a master plan. The conservation project affects the estimated 2000 informal settlers there.

The UP Arboretum is a 16 hectare man-made forest behind UP-Ayala Land Technohub.

UPD Chancellor Caesar Saloma was present for the meeting to speak about the project and pledged to consult with the community before making the master plan.

The signatories of the MOA are the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, and the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity. By signing, they commit to push through with the project. ∞

1 in 3 UPD UPCAT passers not enrolled in UP Jul Mar F. Esteban For this academic year, more than a third of the total 3,853 who qualified for UP Diliman did not enroll this semester. Most of these students are in family income groups under the “paying” brackets of the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), or Brackets A, B, C, and D. About 9 in every 10 UPCAT passers, who waived their enrolment, declared a family income of at least P11,250 every month in their UPCAT application forms.

Under the university’s Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), they may have to pay a tuition of around P6,500 to P24,500 for their first semester.

Out of the total 1,263 UPCAT passers who did not enroll in the university, only 130 would have qualified for free tuition. Only

vs.

Actual STFAP results Actual STFAP results UPCAT survey

E2 E1 D C B A

*The number of students assigned to the bracket only includes those who applied in the first and second batches of STFAP applications.

615 566

Continued from page 1

students with a family income of not more than P11, 250 every month are entitled to free tuition under Brackets E1 and E2 of the STFAP. Meanwhile, of the 2,573 enrolled UPCAT qualifiers, more than 85 percent are in income groups that fall under the STFAP’s “paying” brackets, based on the annual family income they disclosed in their UPCAT application forms. Only 15 percent are in income groups that fall under brackets with free tuition.

However, the annual family income declared in the UPCAT forms cannot adequately determine the students’ capacity to pay for their tuition, said Student Regent Krista Iris Melgarejo. “Hindi lang dapat income ang tinitignan kung hindi pati na ang mga gastusin ng mga estudyante,” said Student Regent Krista Iris Melgarejo.

In the “interim” bracketing scheme used through the UPCAT

UPCAT survey

forms, applicants were required to declare their family income without submitting Income Tax Returns (ITRs), utility bills, or other documents which may help indicate socio-economic status.

The STFAP, meanwhile, attempts to identify both the social and economic standing of UP students in determining the tuition rate they have to pay. For instance, the 14-page STFAP application form asks for information regarding the family’s expenses.

However, even the socialized tuition scheme itself has many flaws, particularly the “tedious” application process, which discourages students from applying for the program, said Anna Alexandra Castro, chairperson of the UPD University Student Council.

As of the first and second batch of STFAP results, barely a quarter of the 2,573 freshmen in UP Diliman have applied for lower brackets

187 (see sidebar). The remaining 75 percent opted to apply for Bracket B certification or pay Bracket A tuition.

Only 37 out of the 596 STFAP applicants have so far been granted free tuition, at least for their first year in UP. This translates to barely 10 percent of the 375 enrolled students who declared family incomes of less than P11,250 a month, which corresponds to Brackets E1 and E2, in their UPCAT application forms.

Meanwhile, out of the 910 freshmen, who declared family incomes under Brackets C and D in their UPCAT forms, only about half have been assigned to the same bracket in the first two batch results of the STFAP. About 72 percent, or 472 STFAP applicants were assigned to the paying brackets.

The results of the first and second batches of STFAP applications does not include the 1,909 freshmen who

28* 673

104*

344

168

188

2

259 35 either applied for the last batch of STFAP processing or did not apply for the lower brackets at all.

Students who do not apply for lower brackets under the STFAP are automatically assigned to the “millionaire’s bracket” A. Students with a monthly family income of not more than P83,333 may simply submit ITR, vicinity map of family residence and certification to be assigned to pay their tuition under Bracket B. Cases where a number of students get assigned to higher brackets only show how STFAP has failed to reflect the genuine socio-economic standing of the students, said Castro. “Makikita talaga natin na hindi nagagawa ng STFAP na mapababa yung bilang ng mga nagbabayad sa UP bagkus ay pinatataas pa nito.” ∞ Source: Office of the University Registrar, Office of Scholarships and Student Services

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BALITA

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

Court defers decision on bail for Karen-She abductors Jul Mar Esteban On June 26, 2006, UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan were abducted while doing research and community work in Hagonoy, Bulacan. Seven years hence, the mothers of Karen and She are still searching for their missing daughters.

In the latest hearing of the case on June 24, two days before the seventh anniversary of Karen and Sherlyn’s abduction, the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 14 postponed its decision on the bail petitions of two suspects who are currently in custody at the army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.

The court will make a decision on the separate petitions of accused soldiers Col. Felipe Anotado Jr. and Staff Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, on its next hearings on September 2 and October 7, respectively.

The two other accused, Ret. Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. and Master Sgt. Rizal Hilario are still at large, despite warrants of arrest issued in December 2011 and a P2-million bounty on Palparan.

Linda Cadapan, the mother of Sherlyn, is confident however that the court will junk the suspects’ petitions.

“Isa sa mga witness namin, na ikinulong kasama nina Karen at She, ang nakita si Anotado doon sa lugar kung saan sila ikinulong. Ang isa pa naming witness ay nakita si Osorio sa mga dumukot sa dalawa,” said Mrs. Cadapan.

The court also heard the testimony of a new prosecution witness during the same hearing.

Farmer William Ramos, who affirmed details of an affidavit submitted to the court, said he lives near the house where Karen and She were abducted in 2006.

He saw the two being dragged out of the house they were staying in, Ramos added.

“Nang makita ng mga sundalo na nakita sila ni Ramos ay pinababa [rin] siya mula sa kanyang bahay, pinadapa, at piniringan,” said Mrs. Cadapan.

Karen, a Sociology major, and Cadapan, a Sports Science student, were abducted by agents of the 24th Infantry Battalion camp based in Bataan and were subsequently tortured, according

to statements by primary eyewitness Raymond Manalo.

Empeño was doing research on the plight of Bulacan farmers, while Cadapan was a community organizer for farmers group Alyansang Magbubukid ng Bulacan. Both were members of militant student groups League of Filipino Students (LFS) and Anakbayan, respectively.

“Wala paring nangyayari, parang wina-wash-out yung ebidensya.

Bakit nakakapagpadala tayo ng peacekeepers sa ibang bansa, pero yung sarili nating internal na problema, di masolusyonan?” added Cadapan.

To commemorate the anniversary of Karen and She’s disappearance, student and youth groups launched a protest rally in Mendiola and a candle-lighting ceremony at UP Diliman, calling for the release of Empeño, Cadapan and other political prisoners.

“Patuloy parin ang paghahanap sa dalawang estudyante, na wala namang ginagawang masama, na ginagawa lang ang kanilang tungkulin bilang mga iskolar.

[Panahon na para] ilitaw sina Karen at She, panagutin sina [dating Pangulong] Gloria [Arroyo] at Palparan, at itulak si [Pangulong] Aquino na itigil ang paniniil [sa mga estudyante at aktibista],” said Issa Baguisi, spokesperson of the LFS. ∞

UP decries UAAP’s new residency rule Klidel Rellin In an effort to prevent the implementation of the two-year ban of the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) for cross-recruited players, UP’s College of Human Kinetics Dean Ronualdo Dizer and Ateneo de Manila University’s (AdMU) athletics director Ricky Palou voted against the policy, believing it to be anti-student. “[The policy] has become a punishment for not choosing your old school,” Dizer said.

After a 5-2 vote, the UAAP board added another year to the one-year residency required for cross-recruited and new players.

High school varsity members from UAAP-member high schools wishing to play for a different UAAP-member university are to wait for two years before participating in the league.

The goal of the new policy is to lessen cross-recruitment among UAAP-member universities and to protect the universities from piracy, said UAAP President Nilo Ocampo.

The UAAP is a sport league composed of eight local universities: UP, AdMU, Universitiy of Sto. Tomas (UST), De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, University of the East, National University (NU), and Adamson University.

The new policy allows universities to train their high school varsity within their respective collegiate varsity programs, the UAAP board explained.

Being host of the outgoing season, NU abstained from voting.

Other universities such as UST and FEU found the policy beneficial in keeping their best players from their high school, explained Dizer.

Nevertheless, student-athletes like Dominque Bartolome are affected by the policy. Bartolome played for the UST’s high school swimming team in the past UAAP seasons and is currently a member of UP’s women’s swimming team.

“Nawawala ‘yung freedom para pumili ng college. One year [of residency] is okay, but two years is too long,” Bartolome said.

Schools hold no written contract with their athletes who should be allowed to transfer to their preferred universities after high school, she added.

UST has not given her release waiver yet, even after transferring to UP, she adds.

“The policy is selfish, uncaring, insensitive and vindictive,” said Dizer. “We believe that the policy is anti-student-athlete. It contradicts with UAAP’s objective of education and development.” ∞

PADAYON Photo by Jiru Rada

The UP Filipiniana Alumni Dance Troupe showcased a cultural presentation during the Pep Rally held at the CHK Gymnasium on June 24. This year’s pep rally was a sendoff to both the UP Fighting Maroons for the 76th Season of the UAAP and for the UP Filipiniana Alumni Dance Troupe who will participate in an international dance festival.

Law freshies may appeal for refund of reservation fee Franz Christian Irorita Freshman students at Malcolm Hall may now get a refund of their P5,000 slot-reservation fees, but the College of Law administration has yet to issue guidelines on how it can be done.

In a June 3 post on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, the Law Student Government (LSG) announced that the college administration agreed to refund the reservation fee following a consultation with the student council.

“As per consultation with the dean, freshmen may now apply to the Office of the Dean for a refund of the Php5,000 reservation fee/ donation. Please address all letters to [the dean],” read the LSG’s post.

However, the Law administration has yet to release an official announcement. The Collegian tried to confirm the announcement but the Office of the Dean has yet to respond to the inquiry as of press time.

The reservation fee was originally non-refundable as announced in the college’s website on February 20.

The official receipts also indicated that the fee would not be refunded.

The reservation fee ensures that the slots for incoming freshmen will be filled, said LSG President Louie Camino.

However, the P5,000 fee is not included in the official fees that the university acknowledges, said John Paul Rotap, Law representative to the University Student Council.

The reservation fee indeed helps determine who will pursue enrolment in the college, but it

defeats its purpose when you refuse to refund it, added Rotap. “Once you continue your enrolment, then you have fulfilled the condition for the fee already. There is no reason for the college to withhold it anymore,” he explained.

The fee was first instituted in 2012. It was then readily refundable upon presentation of the students’ registration forms to the Office of the College Secretary. This year, however, the Law administration appropriated the amount collected from the said fee to scholarships, according to acknowledgment receipts received by the freshmen.

“I believe the issue is how they didn’t give us a choice,” said a law freshman, who requested anonymity. “It was a forced donation which goes against the essence of generosity.” ∞

BALITA

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

5

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

Eng’g freshies now allowed to join orgs

Admin lifts ban during first sem Angerica Hainto The UP College of Engineering (CoE) administration has been sending mixed signals to freshmen about joining organizations in their first semester in the university.

In a June 7 post on the social networking site, the UP College of Engineering (CoE) administration stepped back from implementing a rule that bars freshmen from joining organizations in their first semester.

The rule was first announced in the Facebook group account of the Engineering Association of Student Leaders (EASL) on May 22. “All [organizations] are barred from recruiting any student who has not been a resident of the college for at least one semester,” read the post.

In an earlier interview with the Collegian, CoE Associate Dean Joseph Reyes said that the rule was actually based on the 2012 draft Code of Student Conduct. The university administration, however, has yet to approve the code for implementation.

The college administration then revised the rule as the 1998 Student Guide, which specifies the current rules on organizations, only bars fraternities and sororities from recruiting first year students, said Adriel Cucio, vice chair of the Engineering Student Council (ESC).

From being completely restricted, organizations based in the college are now only “strongly requested to suspend the applications of freshmen and transferees.”

The revision technically allows engineering freshmen to join

organizations, said Minique Aranas, a member of the Institute of Civil Engineering organization UP Aggregates. “Pero takot na lang [ng mga freshmen],” she added.

Meanwhile, other organizations like the UP Circle of Industrial Engineering Majors (CIEM) said the rule would actually not affect their recruitment even if it were implemented.

Freshman students are only accepted to CIEM in the second semester as application process in the organization takes one semester, explained Richelle Relator, executive vice president of the organization.

The rule was implemented in the college to address high dropout rates among freshmen, Reyes said. “[U]pon interview with administration officials, some of them pointed to their participation in organization activities that ate into their academics,” he explained in a Facebook post on June 7.

“The rule is okay with the organizations. That’s why when we consulted them, they respected the decision and they understand the rationale behind it,” Cucio said.

In the consultation held on June 13, however, the administration only announced the revised rule and opened the floor for questions, said Rodgie Reyes, external affairs officer of the UP Aggregates.

“There’s a difference between student consultation and student representation. Students should have a voice in policy-making,” said Charlotte France, who heads the Student Rights and Welfare Committee of the UP Diliman University Student Council. ∞

TAPATAN Photo by Kimberly Pauig

Hinarangan ng mga nagbarikadang kapulisan ang mga manggagawa ng Pentagon Steel Corporation sa isinagawang picket-protesta sa Kaingin Road, Quezon City.

Mariing tinututulan ng mahigit 100 manggagawa ang illegal lock-out at illegal dismissal ng administrasyon ng Pentagon, at nananawagang ibalik sila sa trabaho.

POLICEBRIEFS Colleen Abesamis

3 robberies in one week

The UP Diliman (UPD) Police recorded three separate incidents of robbery in the campus within a single week.

On June 20, unidentified suspects stole a laptop from the car of a College of Social Work and Community Development professor.

Jeremias Leones parked his Toyota Altis in the College of Music parking lot at 6:30 am. When he returned 12 hours later, his Acer

laptop worth P25,000 was already missing from the car’s compartment.

Unidentified burglars also broke into the house of a masters degree student on June 23 at UP Employees Village.

When Ludovica Lozano returned to her home at around 4 am, she found her backpack open and empty.

The student’s backpack contained an iPod worth P30,000, a USB flash disk, and a cellphone worth P3,000.

The burglars also took with them P50,000 in cash, two ATM cards, a checkbook and identification card, among others.

Meanwhile, on the same day, a “veteran thief” stole the wallet of a 2nd year Political Science student in Pook Ricarte, UPD. Leomar Doctolero was on his way from a laundry shop at around 12 noon when the suspect attempted to snatch the cellphone he held in his hand.

The suspect failed to grab the cellphone when Doctolero pulled it away from the suspect’s reach. The suspect instead took the student’s wallet which then fell from his laundry. The wallet contained two ATM cards and P500 worth of cash.

UPDP said the suspect has already been arrested before. ∞

Errant motorist mugs UP guard

ONE CALL Photo by Kim Pauig

The University Student Council and different college councils held a candle-lighting activity in front of the Academic Oval last June 26 to call for justice for the UP students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan who have been missing for seven years. The two were abducted by gunmen in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

A Glocke security guard was punched in the face after reprimanding the driver of a motorcycle that had no silencer on June 23 at the Magsaysay entrance of the UPD campus.

At around 3 pm, Racid Dipatuan stopped a red motorcycle from

entering the gate. Since motorists are not allowed to enter the campus without silencers, Dipatuan accosted the driver, but the driver drove away.

When the same driver, who was later identified as Goody Laquerza, a resident of Brgy. Pansol, Quezon City, was about to leave the campus through the same gate, Dipatuan blocked his way. To escape again, Laquerza punched Dipatuan in the face.

The security guard was later treated at the UP infirmary for a swelling in the right cheek. ∞

School Bus Driver victim of shooting incident An unknown rider shot at a Philippine Science High School bus driver who had been driving along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City on June 27.

Joseph Cruz received gunfire after pulling over across the Commission on Human Rights building to take a leak at around 7:10 AM. The victim suffered gunshot wounds in his right waist and left hand. Cruz escaped using the school bus and drove to the Ylanan Check Point to seek help.

Cruz was later sent to East Avenue Medical Center for medical treatment. Cruz described the suspect as wearing a black helmet and a jacket. ∞

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LATHALAIN

: s t n i o P w e i Rev

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

Looking back at five decades of General Education Ronn Joshua Bautista

ACROSS THE SPRAWLING 493-HECTARE campus of UP Diliman, at least 15,000 undergraduates roam about every day, each specializing in one of UP’s 70 unique disciplines. All of them however, are bound to share a collective UP experience, as their early years would be spent on accomplishing the 45-unit general education (GE) requirement.

Touted to “make student[s] develop an awareness, understanding and appreciation of the various disciplines of the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and philosophy,” the GE program reflects the academic climate UP nurtures. Over time, however, and as UP sought to adapt to various challenges, the program has been the subject of much review over its relevance.

Laying foundations

The GE program (GEP) traces its roots in a liberal education framework which former UP President Rafael Palma espoused in the 1920s. However, it was only in the 1950s that the program materialized as a 60-unit compendium of courses crafted by each campus, one that promoted the “acquir[ing of] a solid basic culture in the higher studies…before specialization in technical and professional courses.”

The program, it was hoped, would balance the trend towards further specialization in the university manifested in the establishment of new institutes and training centers such as the Institute of Public Administration (1952), Statistical Center (1953), and Labor Education Center (1954).

The GEP was later reformed in 1986 by prescribing just one tailored set of courses for everyone to take (see sidebar). These new courses were designed to “broaden the students’ intellectual and cultural horizon.” As Prof. Ruth Pison, College of Arts and Letters GE committee head avers, “GE subjects mold your framework on how you appreciate things [because] you learn to analyze text [through] its critical component.”

Since its inception, the program has brought students together in common subjects on the arts, sciences, and humanities. But a major shift in the university’s academic goals prompted a call for its overhaul four decades after.

Curriculum revision

In 1999, former UP President Francisco Nemenzo, Jr. led an effort to revise the curriculum. He declared to “restore the liberal arts as the foundation of the undergraduate curriculum.”

Critics of the GEP argued that the onetrack approach has hindered student agency and limited their views and perspectives, tells Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ronald Banzon. “Maaaring magkulang siya ng [enough] perspectives para gumawa ng sariling kritikal na opinyon,” he adds.

Nemenzo Jr.’s administration then sought the replacement of the GEP with the Revitalized General Education Program (RGEP), an alternative which did not require any class in particular, through three years of faculty consultations.

The decision to implement the RGEP was left to each campus University Council, an assembly of faculty with the rank Assistant Professor or higher, to deliberate independently. And by 2006, the RGEP was in full swing in all of UP’s eight autonomous units.

Free market curriculum

Under the RGEP, the Colleges of Science, Arts and Letters, and Social Sciences and Philosophy are no longer the only colleges that can offer GEs. This time, every department in the university can now establish their own.

For permanent system-wide GE council member Prof. Fidel Nemenzo, the influx of these new classes would compel each GE to regularly improve itself to attract students.

“Kasi kapag prescribed lahat ng GEs, hindi na-chachallenge [ang mga professors] naiimprove ang GE kasi kukunin din naman,” he explains.

Instead of prescribing the subjects to take, the RGEP simply requires students to

take any five classes from each of the three academic clusters: Arts and Humanities (AH), Social Sciences and Philosophy (SSP), and Math, Science, and Technology (MST).

However, 2011 Student Regent (SR) Kristina Conti, who was part of the studentfaculty alliance against RGEP: UP General Education Movement (UP GEM), believed that the new curriculum seemed to promote a ‘free market’ model. “Under [such a] paradigm where students have a choice of what courses to take, and the professors had the duty to “sell” their courses, only the popular classes rather than the necessary will survive,” she argued.

Freedom of choice?

The RGEP would draw flak years after its implementation. “Ang assumption kasi dito ay mature din ang students [to choose according to their needs]. Ang problema, maraming students ang umiiwas sa mga mahahalagang subjects,” Fidel Nemenzo said.

Since the RGEP does not require any specific subject, a student can graduate without having to take any math or communication classes. GEs may also be taken any time and in any particular order, unlike the ladderized approach of the GEP. Such ‘freedom,’ the 2010 annual GE conference found out, had placed “easy, uno-able and fun subjects” number one in students’ initial considerations. “[N]apapatunayan sa karanasan ng RGEP na hindi sapat ang mekanismo nitong ‘malayang pagpili’ upang matiyak na makukuha ng mga mag-aaral ang ilang sabjek na masasabing ‘esensyal’sa kanilang pamamalagi sa UP,” argues Prof. Ramon Guillermo, All UP Academic Employees’ Union national president.

Recalibrating

As RGEP continued to face criticism, incumbent UP President Alfredo Pascual held a system-wide summit to reform the RGEP in 2011. The assembly agreed that on top of the ‘free choice’ framework (see sidebar), the RGEP version 2 would

also require certain GEs which will be determined by the UC for every campus.

“In a sense, practical middle ground [ang bagong GE program], dahil kung totally free to choose pwedeng [ma-exploit]; sa totally prescribed naman, nawawala yung individual preference ng mga estudyante,” Banzon explains.

Tagged as a hybrid between the GEP and RGEP, the compromise replaced the RGEP just last year.

Consensus-building

At first glance, the new system appears to solve the lack of core courses under the RGEP. Yet, the new branding clearly shows who holds the cards in devising a GE program, Conti points out.

UP GEM believes that students must possess the ability to decide, under the supervision of able advisers, the arrangement of their GE program. Such participation, however, did not happen during the debates to replace GEP with RGEP. Even the recent formation of the hybrid GE program did not entail proper student participation since the UC alone decides which GEs to require. Guillermo thus advocates collaboration between student and teachers in curriculum development: “Dapat igiit na ang [mga esensyal na kurso] ay hindi lamang isang suhetibong pagpapalagay [ng isang grupo] kundi isang demokratikong konsensus sa hanay ng mga guro at mag-aaral.” “[I]f we are to pursue the hybrid system, we must ensure that all the possible permutations of a student’s self-determined GE curriculum will be even, consistent and fair training for all,” adds Conti.

In other words, a comprehensive and inclusive deliberation process, marked by the involvement of all stakeholders, is key to ensuring that the new RGEP will be effective. Otherwise, the GE program will again fall trap to mere academic trends and the whims of those few in power, falling short of the standards the University stands for. ∞

Sources: Guillermo, R. (2007). “Ang Revitalized General Education Program (RGEP) ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas: Edukasyong Nakamodelo sa Pamilihan” Mula tore patungong palengke. IBON Books.

2 University of the Philippines Mindanao (2009).THE UP GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. Retrieved from www.upmin.edu.ph.

3 University of the Philippines.

(2012). The General Education Program of the University of the Philippines.Bangkok, Thailand: Panopio, Rolando. Retrieved from: http://www.genednetwork.or.th/gened_data/ up_files/73_PANOPIO.pdf

Illustration: Ysa Calinawan Page design: Ashley Garcia

LATHALAIN

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

[F]ailing

Education Jem Guhit & Klidel Rellin

7

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

LAST SCHOOL YEAR, THE country’s elementary and secondary school students in the Philippines performed dismally at the National Achievement Test.

Department of Education (DepEd) reports that out of 5,600 secondary schools, 67.10 percent scored between 26 and 50 percent, while only a third or 31.42 percent made it to the upper score ranges.

On the other hand, 49.72 percent of 37,700 elementary schools scored between 51 and 75 percent, and only 36.28 percent obtained upper range marks.

Indeed, for decades now, local and international assessment tests have drawn attention to Filipino students’ worsening performance.

Many parties had been attributing the trend to the country’s shorter basic education.

To address the problems linked to our short educational system, Benigno Aquino III’s administration sought to implement K-12 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, starting school year 20132014. Despite this, the program barely touches the core problems of the country’s educational system.

Progress report The country’s old educational system comprises of 10 years of formal education and features three levels—six years of which are spent in grade school, four years in high school, and four or more for college.

Most countries have 11 years of basic education, but may extend to 12 or 14 years. In fact, until the implementation of the K-12, the Philippines was one of the last three countries in the world with a 10-year basic education program, the other two being Djibouti and Angola.

In an attempt to adapt the country’s 10-year basic education system to the world standard, the Philippines decided to implement K-12, which is the standard prerequisite for recognition of students and professionals by the Washington Accord in the US and the Bologna Process in the European Union.

The K-12 program consists of one year in kindergarten, six years of elementary level, four years of junior high school and the last two years for Senior high school; it was been widely adopted by many countries, namely Australia, the United States of America, and now, the Philippines.

Sadly, the K-12 program implementation comes before addressing the educational sector’s bigger, more systemic problems such as the shortage in schools, teachers, classrooms, books and other learning materials. The country is now up to experience a stormy path ahead with all the problems that the system is creating early at its implementation.

Incomplete This year’s pilot test of K-12 is now bombarded with problems. In the rush to update the educational system, many schools came unprepared in adopting the global standard. Problems that accompany the implementation of K-12 stem from the lack of sufficient budget allocation for the education sector.

For instance, Jona*, a 13 year old Grade 8 student studying at a public high school in Quezon City, has eight siblings with a single working mother. She walks to and from school every day to attend the second shift class which starts from 12:40 in the afternoon until 7 in the evening. She barely has breaks because she needs to study all the subjects that were compressed to make two shifts possible.

Enduring compressed subjects with little breaks as a mode of learning every day is not only tiring but a form of data overload. Jona belongs to a class of 45 that shares a 7x9 meter classroom with another section. Together, they bear being in cramped space while competing for textbooks and learning materials.

Interestingly, DepEd claims to have no shortages in any educationrelated facilities by the end of 2013.

But currently, 34, 763 classrooms are still needed in order to accommodate the increase in sections and classes. DepEd is also short of its target of 145, 825 teachers by 110, 874.

In addition, groups have pointed to the overlaps between subjects of college and high school. This indicates that college might have to teach high school students in the future in order to offset and manage the enrollment drop during the transition period, according to DepEd. Unrefined Anna*, 27 years old, has been teaching Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao or Values Education in a public high school for two years. She earns

P18, 549 monthly for working from 12:30pm to 7pm. Since the K-12 program was implemented, she has to work harder and teach longer hours because of the scarcity of teachers and the rapidly increasing sections per grade.

To supposedly prepare her for the additional task and different approach of the program, Anna was sent to a five-day training. “We discussed how to plan the lessons, the framework of the curriculum, and the activities that can be done for the students,” she shared.

She adds, “The teachers’ guide and the students’ modules are not yet available and might be released on the end of first quarter. But the students also need to study, so [we] need to teach and be creative.”

DepEd has since allotted the Education Service Contracting (ESC) scheme to aid those students with families who can’t afford the expenses who need to pay for additional costs. At the same time, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is studying the possibility of a decrease in the number of years of college degree programs.

The scenario in schools only show that students and teachers alike are unprepared to handle the new curriculum and schools are not fully equipped to take in more classes and subjects. With budget still lacking, K-12 will be unable to conform to the ideal standard of education.

According Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), a sectorial party dedicated to teachers and educational staff, the government must strive to attain 6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) benchmark to be able to sustain the K-12 program.

While systemic issues remain unaddressed, the abrupt revision of the country’s educational system would lead to a downgrade rather than an upgrade in the quality of education. Eventually, increasing the number of school years cannot guarantee that every student would receive the quality of education they deserve.

The people should have the education that will equip them with the right skill and thinking that will uplift the country and as hasty decisions and budget problems cloud these efforts, K-12 would be essentially ineffective. ∞ *not their real names.

Photo: Keithley Difuntorum Page design: Ashley Garcia

8

KULTURA

Bahay at kasaysayan Mary Joy T. Capistrano KUMIKINDAT SA LIWANAG ANG mga munting parisukat na capiz sa bintana ng naglalakihang mga bahay sa Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. Paroo’t parito ang mga kalesang sakay ang mga bisita, samantalang masiglang nagbabahagi ang mga guwardiya-sibil ng mga kuwento tungkol sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas.

Naiibang pasyalan at bahaybakasyunan ang Las Casas sa Bagac, Bataan. Sa halip na dagat o payapang tanawin, pangunahing atraksyon dito ang mga bahay nina Teodora Alonzo, Pamilya Reyes ng Pampaga, at iba pang kilalang personalidad sa kasaysayan ng bansa.

Bukod sa pamamasyal, maaari ring pansamantalang tumuloy sa nasabing mga bahay, na inilipat mula sa mga orihinal nilang lokasyon sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa. Sa diwa ng pagpanatili at pangangalaga ng arkitektura at kultura, inaakay ng Las Casas ang kanilang mga bisita tungo sa mayamang istorya ng ating kasaysayan—P650 para sa pagdalaw, at hanggang P150, 000 naman para sa ilang araw na panunuluyan.

Salamin ng kasaysayan Sa kasalukuyan, may 27 bahay sa Las Casas ang maaaring dalawin ng mga bisita

kabilang ang replika ng Paseo de Escolta, isang hanay ng mga bahay na sentro ng kalakalan sa Maynila noong panahon ng Kastila; isang bahay ng Maranaw; at ang bahay ng ina ni Jose Rizal.

Bagaman “mga bahay ng Pilipinas” ang ibig sabihin ng Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, tila isang balintuna na ngayo’y iisa lamang ang kinikilalang may-ari ng mga antigong tahanan—si Jose Acuzar, isang arkitekto at negosyante. Dahil mahilig sa mga lumang bahay, binibili pa rin ni Acuzar ang mga ito kahit pira-piraso at nasa junkshop na, gaya ng Casa Mexico na nabili niya sa halagang P50,000.

Batid sa mga istruktura sa Las Casas ang pag-unlad ng arkitektura at pagyabong ng sining sa bansa. Bawat disenyo at istrukturang ginamit sa mga lumang bahay ay matutunton sa iba’t ibang panahon sa kasaysayan—mula sa bahay-kubo, na yari sa pawid ng kawayan at dahon ng anahaw, hanggang sa napapalamutiang mga bahay na bato.

Ngunit nagmimistulang pinabango ang kasaysayang ipinamamalas ng Las Casas sa mga bisita nito dahil sa pagkukubli ng ilang mga hindi kaaya-ayang kuwento sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas. Halimbawa, sadyang iwinawaksi ng mga eksena sa Las Casas ang alaala ng karahasang naranasan ng mga Pilipino sa kamay ng mga guwardiyasibil noong panahon ng mga Kastila.

Liban sa pagpapabango ng kasaysayan, tila pinatampok din ng Las Casas bilang isang “heritage site” ang ideyang ang kasaysayan ay hinubog at pinausad ng ilang kilalang personalidad.

Gayunman, tinatangkilik pa rin ang Las Casas sa kabila ng mga limitasyon nito, dahil sa hatid nitong kurot sa damdaming makabayan ng mga Pilipino.

Lipat-bahay Dating bahay-bakasyunan lamang ni Acuzar ang Las Casas, ngunit kalauna’y ginawa niya itong koleksyon ng mga lumang bahay sa Pilipinas.

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

Kaysa tuluyang masira sa orihinal nilang Malayo na sa pagiging isang palayan mga lokasyon, naisip ni Acuzar na mas ang kasalukuyang hitsura’t lawas ng mainam na ilipat ang mga ito sa Bataan Las Casas ngunit maaaninaw pa rin sa upang mapangalagaan. paligid nito ang mga luntiang bundok at “Hindi madali ang mag-assemble ng banayad na pag-agos ng mga ilog—isang isang buong bahay. Kailangan naming tipikal na larawan ng payapang bukid, at pag-aralan ang bawat detalye ng mga ideyal na lokasyon para sa mahinaho’t disenyo,” ani Jordan Hernandez, masayang bakasyon. arkitekto sa Las Casas.

Wari umanong mga eksenang Isa sa mga lumang bahay sa Las Casas ipininta ng mga tanyag na pintor gaya ang Alberto Mansion, dating bahay ng nina Fernando Amorsolo at Juan ina ni Rizal. Kalahati lamang ng orihinal Luna ang mga tanawin sa Las Casas, na 200-taon bahay ang nailipat sa Las ayon sa website nito. Bukod sa muling Casas matapos itong harangin ng lokal pagpapatayo at pagpapatibay sa mga na pamahalaan ng Biñan, Laguna. bahay, isinaayos din ang mga tahanan sa Malaki’t radikal na hakbang para Las Casas upang mas maging kaaya-aya sa Las Casas ang ipatibag at ilayo ang ito sa mga bisita. mga lumang bahay mula sa komunidad “Dinadagdagan namin ang [panloob at espasyong humubog sa kanilang na disenyo] ng mga pinta na nakapagkakakilanlan. Sa pagtatangka ng Las mosaic o mga antigong kagamitan,” ani Casas na gumawa ng makatotohanang Hernandez. replika ng nakaraan, higit lamang Patunay ito na hindi lamang binago naging tampok ang kabiguan nito sa ng Las Casas ang orihinal na kontekstong pagpapanatili ng kalinangang pamana ng kinabibilangan ng mga bahay. Itinuring ating kasaysayan. din ang mga istruktura bilang mga Wala umanong masama kung produktong kailangang ilako. At dahil tunguhin ng Las Casas na pangalagaan dito, hinulma ng Las Casas ang disenyo ang kultura’t disenyong Pilipino, ng mga bahay upang umakma ito sa isang ani Propesor Gil Gotiangco ng unibersal, popular, at payak na konsepto Departamento ng Kasaysayan. “[Subalit] ng kasaysayan. ang isang istruktura ay may angkop na Mistula mang ipinamamalas kinalalagyan. Inaalisan mo ang lugar ng ng Las Casas sa mga Pilipino ang [identidad] kapag nawala sa lugar na ‘yun kahalagahan ng ating kasaysayan at [ang mga istrukturang bumubuo rito],” kultura, natatali ito sa kagustuhang dagdag ni Gotiangco. gawing malabnaw ngunit kalugodSa gayon, mahalagang isaalang- lugod ang mga kuwentong alang ang mga lugar na pinagmulan ng isinasalaysay ng bawat bahay—dahil mga bahay dahil binibigyang-karakter na rin sa pangangailangang kumita. ng mga tirahang ito ang kanilang At sa pagtatakda ng halagang kapalit komunidad at nagsisilbing rin itong ng ilang oras o araw na pagbabaliktagapag-paalala ng nakaraan. tanaw sa kasaysayan, tila nagiging “There are stories in different houses ekslusibo ang kultura sa iilang may [and] different kakayahang architecture [but] magbayad. there are times Bagamat Ang isang when there are inaalagaan at many peculiarities hindi hinahayaang istruktura ay that can only masira ang mga be attributed to may angkop na gusali’t tahanan the place,”ani sa Las Casas, Propesor Mary Ann nananatiling kinalalagyan.

Espina, Dekano nakakubli sa ilalim ng Kolehiyo ng ng mga pinakintab Arkitektura. na sahig at sa likod ng mga palamuti ang mga kuwento’t Lunan ng kasaysayan salaysay ng ating nakaraan. At hangga’t Dating isang malawak na palayan ang ginagawang negosyo ang kulturang lupaing kasalukuyang kinaroroonan ng pamana ng ating mga ninuno, maaaring Las Casas. Bagamat karamihan sa mga manatiling nakasiksik sa mga sulok at nakatira dito noon ay nangibang-bayan siwang ng mga bahay ang mga istorya’t na, may ilan pa ring nanatili katulad ni katotohanan ng ating kasaysayan. ∞ Thelma* na may maliit na karinderiya sa laylayan ng kilalang heritage site.

Photographs : Kimberly Pauig Page design : Jan Andrei Cobey

KULTURA

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

a s n o y s u l n o o b Re hinasy a m I

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

za Alon k c i r Pat

MISTULANG SUMIKLAB ANG makasaysayang himagsikan sa Academic Oval sa UP Diliman.

Naglipana ang mga imahen ng mga lalaking nakasuot ng puting kamisa chino at may pulang telang nakabalabal sa leeg, mapangahas na tinuturo ang hawak na bolo sa malayong himpapawid. Sila ang mga magigiting na anak ng bayan—ang mga katipunero.

Sa gitna ng samu’t saring mga imahen, tumampok pa rin ang isang ginoo. Kagalang-galang ang kaniyang mukha, ngunit taal ang pagka-tiimbagang, mamamalas ang tanyag na tikas at titig na halos lumagos sa kaluluwa— ang tinaguriang ama ng himagsikang Pilipino, si Andres Bonifacio.

Naglipana rin ang samu’t saring interpretasyon ng isang salitang tila iniilagan nang talakayin sa ating lipunan—ang Rebolusyon.

Guniguning Bayani Ang salitang rebolusyon ay halaw sa wikang Latin na revolutio, na ibig sabihin ay pag-inog o pagbuwelta,

isang pagbabago sa anumang relasyon sa isang istruktura, konseptwal man o materyal.

Bilang bahagi ng ika-150 kaarawan ni Bonifacio, tinangka ng proyektong “Revolution” ng Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS) ang pagdalumat at pagbibigay-pugay sa imahen ng rebolusyon at sa kaniyang Supremo.

Nagbunga ito ng mga sanga-sangang mga interpretasyon.

Sa isang banda, naroon ang tradisyunal na imahen ng mga katipunero, magiting na lumulusob sa napipintong digmaan, nakasigaw, at handang iunday ang tagak.

Sa kabila, pilit namang inilulugar ang Supremo sa kasalukuyang panahon.

Hawak ang kaniyang piko at pala habang nakapatong ang puting kamisa chino sa leeg, mistulang isang pagal na obrero ang Supremo.

Binihisan din siya bilang street gangster, suot ang isang free size shirt, low-cut maong at kicks na kulaywatawat ng Pilipinas, at nagsilbing

“bling-bling” ang agimat.

Hinaraya rin ang posibilidad ng isang matandang Bonifacio, mistulang palaban pa rin kahit hukluban na.

Hinalaw din si Bonifacio bilang kalabaw, simbolo umano ng kasipagan sa pagpundar ng rebolusyon, at bilang isang OFW na tinaguriang mga bagong bayani ng ating henerasyon.

Ngunit sa lahat ng mga itinaguyod na mga interpretasyon sa Supremo at sa rebolusyon, nagkulang pa rin ang mga ito sa esensyal nitong katwiran—ang rebolusyonaryong diwa. Lumawak man ang interpretasyon, nakulong ito sa diwa na mistulang palaban ngunit maingat at nangingimi sa pagsulong ng anti-kolonyal na pagkilos.

Sabihin mang maantig ang saloobin ng mga nakakita nito, higit pa sa intensyong magparamdam ng ahitasyon, saan marapat iturol ang saloobing ito lalo pa’t ang inaakala nating rebolusyong Pilipino ay tapos na?

Sa maluwag na paggamit ng salitang rebolusyon, nahihigop ang lahat ng ito sa isang ‘di mawaring sakuna, at imbis na buhayin ang diwa ay lalo itong nakikitil dahil sa lihis na paggagap sa papel ng rebolusyon sa kasaysayang Pilipino.

Hindi ngayon maiwas sa ating isipan ang isang tanong: Ito ba ang rebolusyong hinahangad natin?

Sa Gunitang Sakbibi ng Linlang Naglulunoy ang kasaysayang Pilipino sa isang alimpuyo ng ligalig.

Sumulpot ang mga naggigiit at nagsasawata sa kahalagahan ng isang rebolusyon, mayroong pinahahalagahan ang kontribusyon ng mga bayani, at mayroong mga nagsisiwalat ng ‘mga di maiiwasang kontrobersya.

Ngunit ang lahat ng ito’y sadyang pinalabnaw upang hindi tayo makapulot ng isang partikular na aral. Ang mga kaalamang itinuro sa atin noon pa man ay nagsilbing lason na dumadaloy sa ating isipan hanggang ngayon.

Hindi alintana na ang itinuturong kasaysayan sa atin ay batbat ng mga kahinaan. Sadyang ipinakita ang rebolusyong Pilipino bilang isang katakot-takot na pangyayari, at sa halip ay sadyang pinagpitagan ang tinaguriang pambansang bayani ng mga Pilipino—si Jose Rizal.

Sa “Veneration Without Understanding” ni Renato Constantino, tinalunton niya ang mga dahilan ng pagkadakila ni Rizal. Sa pagbubuod ng kaniyang paliwanag, si Rizal ang pinakaakmang personahe upang mapanatili ang kolonyal na kaayusan ng lipunang Pilipino dahil hindi niya kailanman isinulong at sinupor tahan ang madugong rebolusyong Pilipino.

Matatandaan si Rizal bilang taglay ang mga katangiang ito: isang ilustrado, repormista, hindi ikinampanya ang independensiya at bagkus ikinampanya ang patas na karapatan sa mga kolonisador, taliwas sa mga isinulong ng ibang mga militante at radikal na bayani tulad ni Bonifacio.

Dagdag pa, ang pagkakaluklok ni Rizal bilang pambansang bayani ay batay sa interbensyon ng Estados Unidos, sandig sa proklamasyon ni General Howard Taft sa Philippine Commision noong 1901. Upang malupig ang rebolusyonaryong diwa, binigyan tayo ng isang maamong pambansang bayani kung saan “marapat” nating ihulma ang kaisipan natin.

Nakabuo ngayon ang mga mananakop ng mainam na bitag upang lalong mabiyak ang pagkakaisa ng sambayanang Pilipino. Dahil dito, nahantong tayo sa isang kultura ng pagpili kung sino ang mas pinapaboran na bayani at ang taglay nilang katangian, si Rizal o Bonifacio?

Bagaman sa katunayan, naging biktima ang mga bayani natin sa minanipulang kasaysayan ng mga kolonisador, ang mga dalisay na hinagap at layuning kanilang isinulong ay pinagbangga bilang resulta nito.

Nang tinanggap natin iyon bilang katotohanan, maski ang mga sarili natin ay naging biktima na rin.

9

Pagkatimawa ng mga Alipin Tuluyan tayong nabihag sa isang kolonyal na kaisipan. Kahit ang mga inaakala nating “bagong” imahen ng rebolusyon ay sintomas pa rin ng kolonyal nating kaisipan. Resulta ito ng matagumpay na pagbigo ng mga kolonisador sa rebolusyong Pilipino.

Ang mga taunang komemorasyon ng mga bayaning hinubog sa malabnaw na kasaysayan ang nagsisilbing pananda nito.

Sa halip na matukoy ang kaaway ng sambayanan at ang pundamental na suliranin ng lipunang Pilipino, naiwan tayong watak-watak at hindi mapagkaisa. Kung gayon, kinakailangan ng isang mariing pagtasa sa kasaysayan upang makabuo ng isang tunay na kamalayang Pilipino. Ang kamalayang Pilipino sa gayon ang magsisilbing mitsa ng rebolusyonaryong diwa.

Kung ang mga mananakop pa rin ang may kapangyarihan upang pagpasiyahan ang tadhana ng ating bansa, ang pagmulat at pagsulong muli ng isang anti-kolonyal at tunay na makabayang kilusan ay isang mariing pangangailangan upang baguhin ang kasaysayan. Lilitaw din ang mga makabagong bayani ng ating henerasyon, sa paglaban kasama ang sambayanang Pilipino.

Sa dulo nitong lahat, malinaw na hindi pa tapos ang rebolusyong ipinundar nila Bonifacio. Ang mga alaala nila ay pananda sa mga tanikalang naglulupig sa tinubuang lupa. Sa bawat pagkumpuni ng nasira nating kasaysayan ay magsisilbi itong tabak na magtatarak sa katapusan ng diwang kolonyal, at susulong isang hakbang tungo sa tunay na kalayaan. ∞ *Sanggunian: “Veneration Without Understanding”, Renato Constantino, mula sa librong Dissent and CounterConsiousness. Nilimbag ng Malaya Books, Inc. 1970.

Illustration : Rosette Abogado Page design : Jan Andrei Cobey

10

OPINYON

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

Of what is past, or passing* Larissa Mae Suarez

ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE, protracted arguments I have ever had was over politics. Specifically, former President Gloria Arroyo, whose sins struck me as so obvious that I hardly felt the need to defend any criticism against her. But for every point I raised, my opponent had an answer. I was forced to coherence. I struggled to articulate my opinions, searching for explanations and examples.

I was in high school then.

Unwittingly, I was learning lessons on debate and persuasion that would play an enormous part in my life.

My adversary was my grandmother.

She is eighty-six now, still a staunch supporter of Arroyo, and vocal in her disapproval of Noynoy Aquino (which, at least, we agree on). It’s strange to many people, but I love arguing with her. When I was younger I saw my friends with their grandparents, treating them quietly, deferentially, gently, and I congratulated myself on my lola, who clearly loves arguing with me, too.

My grandmother deserves a lot of the credit for my interest in politics and ideology — early on she taught me, not just to be unafraid of conflict, but to embrace it as a way to strengthen my own beliefs. Even as a teenager I

felt fortunate that she respected me enough to dispute or comment on my opinions, instead of dismissively patronizing me, as I saw other adults do to teenagers.

I look forward to growing old, if I could do it with the same measure of grace and verve as my grandmother.

Every day she dresses proudly in new clothes, bought bargain price, yet evocative of those grand old ladies in teleseryes with well-deserved confidence in their own beauty. (When friends come over, they tease me about the fact that lola is more fashionable than I am.) She visits friends and they play mah-jong, or she goes to the mall to shop and eat. A few years ago she and my grandfather celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary, and she laughed while dancing. Every time I come home she is sitting in her rocking chair, either a newspaper or a rosary in her hand, old OPM ballads playing in the background. She badgers me to rest, and remembers my favorite foods so that she can coax me into eating more. These are the things I shall always remember.

My adversary was my grandmother...

It’s strange to many people, but I love arguing with her.

My grandmother has liver cancer.

With her passing, I will lose a person who loves me unconditionally.

And I mean that literally. I know that there is nothing I could do, from flunking out of school to bringing home a dead body, which would ever diminish her absolute faith in me. She would blame the school. She would help me bury the body. In my various stints as writer, journalist, activist, and law student I have learned that too many of us have never been, or ever will be, loved like that.

When I was in grade school a relative died, and confronted for the first time with death, I sought out my grandmother in the darkened living room of our house. The deceased was her brother. I remember feeling fear at how tired she looked, and I asked (with the bravery of youth, for I cannot bring myself to ask her now) if she was afraid to die.

Yes and no, she said. She was old and had learned to accept that her time was limited, but she still had so much she wanted to do and see, she explained. She pulled me into her lap and stroked my hair while I cried.

Lola, for that honesty, and so much more, I am grateful. I love you. I’ll miss you.

∞

*Yeats, “Sailing to Byzantium”

Another waste of space, you say Zhu Li Yan THERE ARE TOO MANY SPACES to fill.

Daily papers need new headlines; bottles need refilling; market stalls need fresh supplies; tanks need new petroleum; awkward pauses in between conversations need comic relief; too many tables-for-two remain singularly occupied; too many Cinderellas vie for a single pair of glass slippers.

In a crowded city where dead cats fill a small portion of the highway, people exchange avenue after avenue of empty days. We live individualistic lives—averting interactions, creating spatial boundaries. An invisible wall separates an individual from a crowd.

As one walks, he fixes an eye forward his path. The rest of the crowd is in an insignificant motion blur. The spaces these people slither in is unreal.

Nonmatter, on one hand, amazingly occupies more space than matter: vendetta, greed, anguish, poverty—even Shadow.

I once deconstructed the anatomy of the universe, and realised that no angel exists in the dark expanse of the cosmos, only specs of dust. Shadow, a nonmatter that obstructs the path of light,

I once deconstructed the anatomy of the universe, and realised that no angel exists in the dark expanse of the cosmos, only specs of dust.

engulfs the universe in a state of surrender to the unknown abyss.

Shadows hide behind people’s smiles. These are of the most deceiving kind. They appear in both friend and foe. I hate the illusions shadows portray. I know, however, that I am more acquainted with the details of every curve of my shadow, than with my clear reflection in broad daylight.

In an attempt to prevent these shadows, I once patterned a galaxy of stars after the letters of your name.

The composition of this galaxy’s falling stars reminds me of the soft flow of your voice.

Of the many stars that populate this galaxy, people still get lost in the shadows. Most of us could not find our way; we haven’t followed the right star.

People surrender their fates to the positions of the stars, to the dictates of the constellations, and to the zodiacs that we pick in a paragraph or two in the morning tabloid. We tend to be individualistic, traversing our own fates, and turning away from the fate of the whole human race.

People fill their own spaces.

When death comes, we die as another addition to empty space.

When we die our individual lives, nobody would remember the spaces we once filled, except if we lived long enough to leave parts of us in the sun, the moon and permanent spaces that do not die.

We fragment ourselves in sonnets and rhymes that we believe to outlive death. Our life is a whole fantasy parade. We clothe the naked spaces of our faith in an attempt to choose rightly when faced with multiple choices.

As another day enters, daily papers need new headlines, bottles need refilling, market stalls need fresh supplies, tanks need new petroleum, awkward pauses in between conversations need comic relief, too many tables-for-two remain singularly occupied, too many Cinderellas vie for a single pair of glass slippers.

More people populate cities.

Vendetta, greed, anguish and poverty grow. The day ends, the cycle continues.

As the shadow continues to widen, people still live individualistic lives. ∞

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

OPINYON

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013

11

eksenang peyups

TEXTBACK

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Wet Edishun!!!

Scrap or Reform?

Calling all Ilocano, Pangasinense, and Tausug native speakers! Help us preserve, develop, and enrich the Philippine Languages.

Earn Php400 as you join us in a 1 1/2 hour recording session at the DSP Laboratory, UP EEEI Bldg. Text 09166517555 for further details.

Haloowa mga baklur! This rainy season is making me very wet, not just my singit but my anit to the bottom of my feet as well. Buti na lang kahit jumulanis morisette during the LGBT Pride March eh di nawash out ang aking mascara ang foundation, dami pa man ding papables and fububles.

Ahihihi. Dahil marami akong nashowayt habang inirarampa ko ang aking ganda, for sure magkakaroon ako ng wet dreams for the whole sem! Hahaha.

Wet blankets are really the hardest to wash, if you know what I mean… aminin. Kalurks and kadirs ha, basta, eto na aking regular scoops that will leave you wet and itchy!

Interwet and World Wide Wet. Electrifying lolo from a balur near the fishy institute is almost ready for his erecture. Unfortunately, his powerpoint is wetchikels kumonekchi sa laptopungs niya kaya he opened his browser to open his email. Naloka ang mga apo ni lolo kasi recently opened tabs of porn sites unfolded right in front of their pretentious virgin eyes. Oh boy! Hmmm and uhmmm. Way worse is lolo did not notice this shenanigan and he opened another zipper, este window. Ermengerdium labia-oooohsa! Super whisper cottony soft ang mga apo with matching pagtataka. Grabe dito ha, daming pa-virgin. As if you haven’t seen 2 girls and 1 cup pa eh.

Wetathione. Ingat-ingat din sa mga nakaw na tingin! This malanding kulutera is mejoi halata na rin sa kanyang mga stolen glances kay classmate who knows how to make sipa very well. According pa sa mga bulungbulungan, na sa sobrang lakas at dami ay narinig ko na, pati mga kaklase niyang malalandi rin ay hindi nagpapaawat kakatingin kay koya sipatero.

Yummy! nga kasi di ba? What’s more galore, bumuhos ang Niagara falls mula sa in between ni ateng ng accidentally magkadikit ang kanilang mga kamay for 0.00000001 seconds. Jusko kaloka itong mejoi malanding kulutera na itey! Puro stolen glances and lustful images na kalurki! Naku ha, krimen ang magnakaw ‘no, dalhin kita sa isang airbase malapit sa resorts world eh.

Ahahaha Wetchikels. Girlean from another generation made irap to this revolutionary girlette while she was making harurot her biggy car. Sabi ng aking witness who’s been hiding under your bushes just to see h*mens este krimens first hand is that muntik na mabonggels ng bongga nitong si girlean si girlette. One bitch slap away na lang daw at tuluyang nalurki ang ganda nitong si girlette. Watch your attitude girlean huh, I’ve been wetching you lately and you seem to be a bit windy. Kaw din, sumbong kita kay chancy. *wink After kong mabasa sa ulan ay ayan na ang aking mga nasinghot na chika.

Next edition na uli mga baklur, magpapakabasa na rin muna ako down under and may you also be wet this rainy season. Babooooosh!

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Ano ang iyong mensahe para sa basketball team ng UP?

• hanap n kau ng physics tutor!!!! ;))” 2010-***91 daniel • Paabutin nila ng game7 tulad ng spurs. 2012-30428 • UP Basketball Team, go for gold! ***222*** • Mike Silungan, pwede bang ako ang gawin mong bola? Idribble mo naman ako minsan! Hehe :)) 2010-29**4 • Sana hindi lang si Paras ang asahan ng team... Sana lhat mag-standout pra mas malaki ang chance nting manalo. 11-4***9 Jonathan • ipakita nyo naman na deserve nyo ang tuition nyo wag nyo daanan sa height try nyo kayang umabot sa finals mga koyang choss:D 2013-2*28* Chuchay Geo Eng’g • MABUHAY FIGHTING MAROONS!LABAN! 201078910 • para sa basketball team, sana ma inspire kayo kay oble na willing mag sacrifice para sa ating unibersidad yehey! Good luck :) 11-09**4 afan BSCE • Go UP Maroons! Hayaan niyo na silang manalo sa UAAP, at least taga-UP kayo! Haha. 201262485 Jonathane UPDEPP • manalo, matalo, matalino parin kayo. at matangkad. don’t fail us!

201010174

Comments

• Ganda ng layout. Galing ng illustrations ni ysa calinawan.

• Dear Mr. Alan Tuazon, sa palagay ko mas okay ang vocal kaysa sa silent type (sabi rin nung katabi ko). Kasi may exchange ng ideas kaya may growth (daw).

Huwag susuko! XD Sana magkalablayp ka na soon. Good luck! 201*-0928* May • 2006-XX0XX Masakit sa ulo intindihin ng mga unang salita ni Patrick Alzona: ‘Sa ika-105th dantaon...’ Sana typo lang ito...

Next week’s questions 1. Anong masasabi mo sa panukalang muling pahintulutan ang mga US military bases sa bansa?

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The Undergraduate TO TEMPORARILY TAKE A BREAK from the pressures of presswork, I secretly watched a random movie from someone’s hard drive lying around in the Graphics room. It must have been some sort of unconscious Freudian thing, but I ended up clicking on The Graduate from among a list of titles.

Last time I watched the film, I was still struggling with puberty at an allboys high school and with uncertainty as to what I wanted to take for college.

My brothers always wanted to be lawyers even since childhood. I was the only one among a family of lawyers who did not share the same dream. I never really knew what I wanted, but I was certain the law holds no charm for me.

“If you do not want to be a lawyer, choose a profession of the same calibre, a doctor or an engineer,” my father negotiated with me as I was about to fill my UPCAT form three years back.

Yet even before conceding taking up Engineering, I was already confident that there would be no sure engineer post for me after graduating—or even after passing the board exams.

The Graduate ended just in time for “dinner.” Everyone was rushing towards the office’s receiving area, which meant the McDonald’s delivery man was already at the door.

Eyes heavy from endless hours in front of my laptop, I sat with the rest of the gang at the conference table and absent-mindedly ate what was supposed to be burgers and fries and chicken. It all tasted the same.

It must have been another unconscious, Freudian thing, but I said something which steered the conversation towards my dismal chances at getting a job after college.

“But there are a lot of poetic jobs out there, Alan. I’m sure we can manage,” a senior writer cheerfully assured me.

The rest of us pitched in: a watchmaker who “literally” has time in his hands, a receptionist of a seedy motel, a zookeeper, a driver, an antiques shop keeper, a midwife.

“A wedding-planner,” one of the illustrators suggested.

The list continues.

“An embalmer?”

Everybody laughed with a tinge of guilt. Though unspoken, we all agreed that everyone—even UP students— would not have a guaranteed job after graduation.

“Or I could just be a writer of poems posted in the MRT ad spaces?

They’re planning to hike the MRT fare, right? Maybe MRT poets would have a decent salary,” I jested.

What do they say about jokes again?

∞

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