Philippine Collegian Tomo 93 Issue 1

KULÊ

Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas—Diliman Martes 18 Agosto 2015 Tomo 93 Blg 1

CLASS STRUGGLE 9 LATHALAIN

2 EDITORYAL

Martes 18 Agosto 2015

WALANG PASUBALI NASA YUGTO TAYO NG PAGBALIKWAS. Sa pagbubukas ng bagong akademikong taon sa unibersidad at ng huling taon ng panunungkulan ni Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III, malawak na lunan ng tunggalian ang ating pamantasan at ang bayan. Sa patong-patong na isyung kinakaharap ng bayan, mananatiling mapagbantay, mapanghamon, mapanuri at mapanghawan tungo sa makatarungang pagbabago ang mga pahina ng Philippine Collegian—ang Kule.

Ang kasaysayan ng bansa ay kasaysayan ng tunggalian. Ang panunungkulan ni Aquino ay tigib ng ilusyon, delusyon, pandarambong, kasinungalingan at paglapastangan sa mamamayan. Walang pinakinggan ang administrasyong Aquino sa mga panawagan ng taumbayan sa loob ng kanyang limang taong panunungkulan.

Naghihikahos na mamamayan ang iiwan ng pangulo sa pagtatapos ng kanyang termino. Bukod pa rito ang minanang utang ng bayan na kailanma’y tila hindi mababayaran at perenyal na ipinababalikat sa sambayanan.

Anumang isyu pa man ito, hindi matitinag ang Kule kasama ang mamamayan, sa paghahawan ng panibago at progresibong kasaysayan. Buong tapang na susuungin ng Kule ang kasalukuyang hamon sa lakas at tikas ng bayan.

Masigasig na babantayan ng publikasyon ang nakasalang na pambansang badyet na lantarang binubusabos ng mga nasa posisyon. Pilit mang itago, lutang ang tunay na hangarin ng pangulo — maglaan ng malaking pondo para sa kanyang partido sa nalalapit na halalan.

Binigyang-diin din ng administrasyong Aquino ang pagpapalakas ng relasyon ng Pilipinas sa mga karatig bansa sa Asya sa paniniwalang makakamit ng bansa ang antas ng ekonomiya ng mga kapitbahay na bansa. Ibinandera din ng pangulo ang kanyang proyektong public-private partnership (PPP) na siya umanong lulutas sa kahirapang dinaranas ng mamamayang Pilipino. Ngunit sa halip na tulong, pinagkakakitaan ng mga dayuhan ang kakarampot na pag-aari ng mga Pilipino.

Kaugnay nito, malaking proyekto ang pinaghahandaan ng pangulo bago pa man matapos ang kanyang termino — ang ASEAN integration na isang pangunahing hakbang upang patatagin ang ugnayan ng Pilipinas sa mga karatig-bansa at ng Estados Unidos. Kaya naman pilit na inihahanay ng pangulo ang edukasyon ng bansa sa iba pang institusyong pangakademiko sa Asya.

Sapilitan ding ipinayayakap sa mga Pilipino ang bagong programa na K to

P L AY B A C K Ano sa tingin mo ang magiging epekto ng nakaambang P2.2 billion na budget cut sa UP?

12 kung saan dinagdagan ng dalawang taon ang pag-aaral sa elementarya at sekundarya. Hindi pa man sapat ang pondo sa edukasyon, kulang ang mga guro at pasilidad, panibagong dagdag pasanin na naman ito sa mga mag-aaral at magulang.

Hindi bulag ang pangulo sa kasalukuyang kalagayan ng edukasyon sa bansa ngunit higit niya itong pinalala sa pamamagitan ng mga neoliberal na palisiya sa edukasyon tulad ng K to 12 program at Roadmap to Public Higher Education Reforms. Layunin ng mga programa na gawing pribado ang edukasyon, gatasan ang mga magulang at mag-aaral, at talikuran ang konstitusyonal na responsibilidad ng gobyerno na tiyaking makapag-aaral ang lahat ng mamamayan sa lahat ng antas ng edukasyon.

Sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, ginigipit ang mga estudyante sa kanilang karapatang makapag-aral. Hindi na lamang mataas at mapagpanggap na sistema na pagdiskwento sa matrikula sa porma ng Socialized Tuition System ang kinakaharap ng mga estudyante, kundi maging ang kawalan ng matutuluyan. Tinutulak ang mga estudyante na manirahan sa mga semi-private na dormitoryo na dagdag pasakit sa bulsa, emosyon at pag-aaral.

Hindi rin makatarungan ang pagtaas ng presyo ng edukasyon sa porma ng Other School Fees na maiuugat sa kulang na badyet na inilalaan ng pamahalaan.

Kaya naman kinakailangang pumasok ng mga state universities at colleges tulad ng UP sa mga pribadong transaksyon, isang solusyon ang problema ng kakulangan sa badyet.

Sa labas ng pamantasan, makikita ang pinalalang sitwasyon ng kahirapan, disempleyo, barat na pasahod, kawalan

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

2015-2016

ng aksyon para sa mga biktima ng bagyong Yolanda, pagkibit-balikat ng rehimen sa usapin ng repormang agraryo, pagkaantala ng usaping pangkapayapaan, patuloy na paglabag sa karapatang-pantao, at pagpapabaya sa batayang serbisyong panlipunan gaya ng kalusugan, pabahay, at edukasyon.

Walang naratibo ng pananamantala mula sa hanay ng mga magsasaka, manggagawa, mangingisda, kababaihan at kabataan ang palalagpasin ng Kule Kinukutkot ang taumbayan ng panibagong yugto ng pangamba lalo na sa usapin ng pagpapalamon ng ekonomiya ng bansa sa dayuhang kapital.

Sa pagbubukas ng ika-93 taon ng Kule, walang espasyong ilalaan sa pag-aatubili.

Magpapatuloy ang pahayagan sa matapang

nitong pagtugon sa hamon ng panahon.

Isasapubliko ng pahayagan ang bawat transakysyon at plano ng administrasyon lalo na sa usapin ng pagpasok ng UP sa iba’t ibang kontrata kasama ang mga pribadong kompanya. Gayundin magiging mapagmatyag ang Kule sa usapin ng benepisyo at sahod ng mga empleyado, kawani at guro ng pamantasan.

Walang naratibo ng pananamantala mula sa hanay ng mga magsasaka, manggagawa, mangingisda, kababaihan at kabataan ang palalagpasin ng Kule.

Walang pasubaling ipagpapatuloy ng pahayagan ang ilang dekada ng matapang, matalas at matalab na pamamahayag.

Kikilatisin at iuulat ng pahayagan ang bawat yugto ng paglaban ng mga mamamayan sa mga palisiya at kapalpakan ng rehimeng Aquino.

Ipagpapatuloy ng Kule ang tradisyon ng malayang kritikal na pamamahayag.

Sa unang isyu ng Kule ngayong taon, patuloy na ipinapanawagan ng pahayagan ang pagpapatalsik sa pangulong umabuso sa kanyang kapangyarihan at batas. Hindi mananatiling tagapagmasid ang Kule. Sasabay ang pahayagan sa mabilis na pagbabago ng panahon kung saan gagamitin ang iba’t ibang lunsaran upang maarmasan ang malawak na bilang ng mga estudyante ng malalim at napapanahong mga ulat at suri. Sa laban at tagumpay ng mamamayan, kahingian ng panahon ang pumanig sa mamamayang inaapi pero bumabalikwas.

Makikiisa sa pagkatha ng bagong pahina ng kasaysayan ang Kule. Patuloy na papanig at babalikwas ang pahayagan sa mga batayang sektor na naaapi — singtingkad at singtalas ng nakasanayan. 

Sa klase ko, walang remote yung DVD player, kulang ang upuan dahil ang daming nagprerog. Tapos wala akong magawa kundi tanggapin dahil kung hindi mapapariwara ang mga mag-aaral. Buti na lang matatalino at masisipag ang mga estudyente ko at nagsisikap hindi bagamat, kundi dahil may kulang.

Ramon Bautista

Instructor, UP Film Institute

Sinasalamin nito ang tumitinding tulak ng gobyerno sa mga pamantasan tungo sa komersyalisasyon, at sa kalaunan ay pag-abandona sa responsibilidad na pondohan ang mga pampublikong pamantasan. Lalong sisirit ang matrikula at ibang bayarin, na dudulo sa pagdami ng kabataang hindi kakayaning makapagtapos ng pag-aaral.

Sarah Jane Elago

National Union of Student of the Philippines National President

UKOL SA PABALAT Dibuho Rosette Abogado

Punong Patnugot Mary Joy Capistrano Kapatnugot Victor Gregor Limon Tagapamahalang Patnugot Emmanuel Jerome Tagaro Patnugot sa Grapiks Ysa Calinawan / Jiru Rada Tagapamahala ng Pinansiya Karen Ann Macalalad Kawani Arra Francia / Chester Higuit / Patricia Ramos Pinansiya Amelyn Daga Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon Paul John Alix Sirkulasyon Gary Gabales / Amelito Jaena Mga Katuwang na Kawani 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 kule1516@gmail.com / www.philippinecollegian.org / fb.com/philippinecollegian / twitter.com/phkule / instagram.com/philippinecollegian

BALITA 3

Martes 18 Agosto 2015

DBM proposes P2.2 B UP budget cut

2010

B

P16.39 B* B

2016 UPproposed budget

Legend:

PS MOOE CO

.2 9B

65+2510 P2.69 B

1 P1

P2.87 B

P 13.14B

P 9.52B

P 5.75B

P 5.75B

2011

2012

P 9.37B

2013

2014

P 10.89B**

2015

2016

* P16.39 billion is filed under additional requirement, supplemented by the baseline budget or UP’s current operating expenses worth P8.3 billion, to a total of P 24.67 billion. ** DBM-proposed budget.

SPECIAL PURPOSE FUNDS are lump sum allocations given to departments or government units without specifications for the purpose they will serve. For 2016, the NEP includes SPFs worth P 430 billion. According to law, only the Congress of the Philippines has jurisdiction over the country’s purse. In 2014, the Disbursement Acceleration Program pioneered by the Aquino administration was declared unconstitutional due to the executive branch’s supposed control of funds outside of its rightful jurisdiction.

The following are some of the lump sum funds identified by the Collegian in its initial review of the 2016 NEP:

PENSION AND GRATUITY FUND

P109.2 B WHAT IT’S FOR

Less budget for social services Should the proposed 2016 national budget of P 3.002 trillion be approved, the country will have twice the country’s purse had in 2010 when President Benigno Simeon Aquino III took office. This also shows a 15.2 percent increase from the 2015 budget of P2.6 trillion.

During his last year as president, the Aquino administration will continue prioritizing debt servicing, amounting to P 740.5 billion. Of this amount, P 525 billion is allotted for domestic debt while P 214 billion goes to foreign debt. Despite a four percent decrease from 2015’s P 775 billion, debt servicing far outweighs the budget for education next year, which amounts to only P 504.6 billion.

Taxes will fund the majority of the national budget worth P 2.5 trillion, while the rest will come from nontax revenues such as income from licensing fees and privatization, according to the DBM. However, Kabataan party-list Representative Terry Ridon said the government is also set to borrow an additional P674.8 billion next year, not only to plug the targeted deficit, but also to repay debt. “That’s the logic of the Aquino government: repay debt with more debt.”

A big chunk of the education budget goes to the Department of Education,

P7 .02

6.1

P 6.92B

P

2016 DBMproposed budget

2

P2.47 B

P10.89 B

B

B

B

2015 actual budget

P2.

35 + 19 46 P13.18 B

P1.14

Decreased capital outlay The largest bulk of the 2016 UP budget will cover PS with P7.032 billion. Operating expenses worth P2.789 billion was filed under MOOE, while the remaining P1.44 billion was allotted to CO. Funds for PS and MOOE include P 12.7 million for scholarships, the construction of institutions such as the Regional Research Center in UP Visayas worth P 180 million, and P250 million for the modernization of

fiber optic cables in different units in preparation for UP President Alfredo Pascual’s eUP project.

The budget department did not approve UP’s proposed P 10.21 billion-allocation for CO, which includes a P 1.87 billion worth of CO for UP Diliman (UPD).

This means that the university would not have funds for the construction of new dormitories amidst the issue on lack of student housing, which recently prompted campout protests in front of Kalayaan Residence Hall.

In a dialogue between UPD Chancellor Michael Tan and Vice Chancellor for Student Activities Neil Martial Santillan on August 6, Tan said that he will push for the inclusion of funds for the construction of at least five more dormitories in UPD that will accommodate around 500 students each.

“Maraming magiging epekto ang 2.2 billion budget cut sa UP. Sa UPD palang, marami ang nasunog na mga buildings at infrastructure kung saan ang capital outlay sana ang aasahang pagkunan ng pondo upang makapagpatayo ng mga bagong buildings,” said UPD University Student Council Councilor Bryle Leano.

Even with a possible budget cut, UP will be getting the biggest slice of funds among the country’s 112 state colleges and universities (SUCs). SUCs are expected to get less than one percent increase from 2015’s P 43.3 billion to P 43.65 billion.

61 P4.

STUDENTS OF THE COUNTRY’S national university will have to brace themselves for next academic year as UP heads towards an impending P 2.2 billion budget cut for 2016.

From this year’s P13.143 billion, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has allotted P10.897 billion for UP’s eight constituent units and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in the proposed 2016 National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted to the House of Representatives on July 28.

The DBM-proposed budget comprises less than half of what UP needs, according to the budget proposal submitted by the Board of Regents. UP needs a P24.7-billion budget next year, comprised of UP’s baseline budget or current operating expenses which amounts to P8.3 billion and P16.39 billion additional requirements.

The budget cut stems primarily from the removal of capital outlay (CO), or funds for the construction of new infrastructure, for PGH. The largest public hospital in the country, the PGH received P 3.1 billion this year for the improvement of its facilities and hospital equipment.

Academic units of the university will likewise have a decrease of around P310 million for CO, for a total drop of P3.4 billion.

Despite the removal of CO for PGH, an increase of around P 1.2 billion was added to personnel services (PS), or compensation for faculty and employees, and maintenance and other expenses (MOOE). This rounds the university’s total net budget cut to P2.2 billion. (see sidebar) The lower house is set to conduct initial deliberations on the NEP on August 10, where legislators may suggest changes to the DBMproposed budget. The NEP will then undergo two more readings before approval and will be sent to the upper chamber of Congress.

Once in the Senate, the NEP will undergo the same round of procedures before being consolidated into one bill by the bicameral conference committee, consisting of representatives from both chambers of Congress. The final bill will then be transmitted to the president who will sign it into law.

14+1868

ARRA B. FRANCIA

Payment of pension of retired government personnel WHO HAS JURISDICTION OVER FUNDS

Respective department/agencies

MISCELLANEOUS PERSONAL BENEFITS FUND

UNPROGRAMMED APPROPRIATIONS

P96 B

P67.5 B

Funds for performance-based bonus of government personnel

Standby appropriations

WHAT IT’S FOR

WHO HAS JURISDICTION OVER FUNDS

Respective department/agencies

WHAT IT’S FOR

WHO HAS JURISDICTION OVER FUNDS

President

ALLOCATION TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

NATIONAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT FUND

CONTINGENT FUND

P56.5 B

P38.9 B

P4 B

Subsidy given to LGUs in terms of their share in tax revenues

Aid, relief and rehabilitation services in case of calamities

Used for urgent projects within the year.

Can also be used to augment the President’s travel expenses during his term

WHAT IT’S FOR

WHO HAS JURISDICTION OVER FUNDS

Respective LGU National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund

WHAT IT’S FOR

WHO HAS JURISDICTION OVER FUNDS

President

WHAT IT’S FOR

WHO HAS JURISDICTION OVER FUNDS

President

Infographic by John Reczon Calay set to have P 410 billion or 29 percent more than the current P 317 billion.

Less than 20 percent will be used to construct facilities in line with the K to 12 program, which adds two more years to the secondary curriculum.

From P 37.6 billion in 2015, budget for the National Health Insurance Program will increase by 16 percent or P 43.8 billion. While the NEP states that health insurance covers 100 percent of poor families, data from IBON contend that 68 percent of health expenses still come from the patient’s own pocket.

Despite an overall increase in the national budget, however, P 430.4

billion was filed under Special Purpose Funds (SPFs), a 75.2 percent leap from this year’s P 245.7 billion allocation.

SPFs have no usage specified in the budget and can be used on the administration’s discretion.

IBON Foundation noted that loopholes on the NEP would allow the government to use funds from discontinued projects that may create presidential pork barrel without undergoing congressional scrutiny.

“The proposed 2016 budget [also] drops the qualifier ‘final’ in describing discontinued or abandoned projects whose remaining funds can be considered savings, which potentially

allows savings to be declared in the middle of the year,” according to IBON. The NEP also includes lump-sum allocations, similar to funds under the unconstitutional Disbursement Acceleration Program, such as P32.7 billion for irrigation of the National Irrigation Administration and P8.3 billion for the Department of Interior and Local Government intended for housing projects that are no longer within the department’s mandate.

“Flipping through the pages of the 2016 national expenditure program, one can readily see traces of pork barrel. It’s practically everywhere,” said Ridon. 

4 BALITA

Martes 18 Agosto 2015

Less than 1 out of 10 UP students enjoy free tuition KAREN ANN MACALALAD

Infographic by Jan Andrei Cobey

BARELY ONE OUT OF TEN UP students have received free tuition this semester under the Socialized Tuition System (STS), the tuition discount system implemented by the university in all its eight constituent units.

Out of a total estimated 60,000 UP students system-wide, only 4.89 percent or 2,936 students have received a full tuition discount, according to the most recent data from the STS Office obtained by the Collegian on August 5. These 2,936 students comprise brackets E1 and E2 of the STS. Bracket E1 students receive a full tuition discount, while bracket E2 students receive free tuition and a stipend.

The number of paying UP students thus outnumbers the number of those enjoying free tuition. Across the entire UP system, there are currently 33,540 paying students, compared to 2,936 non-paying students.

The STS office have received applications from a total of 36,476 students this semester, while, 1,959 students have informed the STS Office that they will not apply for STS and were

automatically assigned to Bracket A. Bracket A students pay the highest tuition rate in UP, at P1,500 per unit or around P28,000 per semester for an 18unit academic load.

In UP Diliman (UPD), only 5.59 percent or 1,285 students have been assigned to Brackets E1 and E2, out of the estimated total student population of 23, 000. The STS Office have received applications from 13,558 UPD students, while 1, 485 did not apply.

Fewer Bracket E students Compared to last year, the STS Office has granted free tuition to a smaller percentage of the total number of applicants and non-applicants.

A total of 2, 936 students have been assigned to brackets E1 and E2 this semester, or 7.63 percent of 38,435 applicants and non-applicants. This “free tuition grant rate” is lower than last year’s 9.12 or 3,787 students of 41,506 applicants and non-applicants.

In Diliman, there was a slight increase in the percentage of students entitled to free tuition. This semester, 8.54 percent or 1, 285 out of 15,043 students have

been granted a full tuition discount. Last year, only 6.66 percent or 1,159 out of 17,388 students received free tuition.

In terms of grant rate for free tuition, UP Manila has the lowest rate, at only one percent of the total 3,140 applicants.

On the other hand, UP Cebu has the highest grant rate for free tuition, at 13.1 percent.

Pending appeals The data from the STS Office also revealed that around two out of five STS applicants systemwide have filed an appeal to be reassigned to a lower bracket.

A total of 8,581 appeals for lower bracket reassignment in UP have been filed this semester, 23.5 percent of the total 36,476 applicants. As of August 5, a total of 4,036 appeals are still unresolved, excluding UP Visayas which has not yet consolidated the data for its two campuses in Iloilo.

In Diliman, the appeal rate was 26.5 percent or more than one appeal for every four applications.

To accommodate new applications in Diliman and Baguio, the STS module

has been reopened from August 10 to 14.

Results will be posted on August 17 and appeals may be filed from August 17 to 19.

Flat-rate tuition rollback Despite having undergone reforms throughout its 26-year history, socialized tuition in UP remains founded on the idea that wealthier students must subsidize those who are poorer, said former College of Mass Communication Associate Dean Danilo Arao.

“The STS gives an impression that a student could be ‘less iskolar’ compared to the more ‘iskolar ones,’” said Arao, a member of both the UP system study group on admissions and the progressive teachers’ group Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy (CONTEND).

The system thus transfers the cost of public education from the state to the students and their parents, said UPD University Student Councilor Beata Carolino. “The root problem stays the same: systematically cutting the budget of UP [and] other state universities and colleges (SUCs). Any form of socialized tuition never attempted to address this problem.”

However, all undergraduates receive subsidy regardless of their economic status, STS Director Richard Gonzalo maintained.

If a flat rate tuition of P300 per unit were implemented in UP, students who receive free tuition, or relatively higher subsidy, possibly cannot afford to pay a flat-rate tuition, Gonzalo said. “There are also students who can easily afford [higher tuition rates], so we allow them to share with the national government in covering the cost of studying in the university.”

Arao, on the other hand, countered that there are university-sponsored scholarships to which the students may still apply for free tuition.” The fact that [UP] will be reverting to a uniform tuition rate doesn’t mean removing the scholarships all together.”

A rollback to a flat-rate tuition is a step towards free public tertiary education, said Arao. “Free education would entail a collective struggle not just in UP but in other [SUCs]. UP can set an example, but it would have to be a united aspiration not just of the students but of the faculty and administrators.” 

BALITA 5

Martes 18 Agosto 2015

Dorm application woes welcome UP students JIRU RADA

AROUND 500 UP DILIMAN (UPD) students started the semester even as the Dormitory Oversight and Admissions Committee (DOAC) failed to release the final decision on appeals for admission to the university’s 13 residence halls.

The DOAC was supposed to post the appeals results on July 31, but the committee only began releasing the results by batches on August 4.

Students were forced to seek other housing options while they await the results of their applications, said UPD University Student Council (USC) Councilor Bryle Leaño.

Around 15 students from provinces like Zamboanga and Cebu had to temporarily stay at the All-UP Worker’s Union office for a week.

As of August 10, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA) have received a total of 480 appeals. These appeals comprise of appeals filed for reconsideration, appeals to transfer to a less expensive dormitory, and appeals to apply beyond the deadline.

‘Inadequate dorm slots’ The OSH initially opened 3,452 slots for 11 dormitories in the university, excluding the International Center and Kamagong Residence Hall. The total number of available dorm slots is 3,725.

Around 4,600 dormitory applications were filed online and roughly 3,000 students qualified for a slot. Almost 700 applications were rejected while around 900 online applications were tagged ineligible for batch run processing because of incomplete requirements, violation of the maximum residency rule and nonconfirmation of slot, according to OSH.

Centennial II Residence Hall was the first dormitory to reach almost full occupancy with only two slots left during the appeals period. Centennial I Residence Hall, on the other hand, got 232 out of the maximum capacity of 256 after the online application results announcement.

The Centennial dormitories charge P1,500 monthly per student.

The older dormitories such as Sampaguita and Kamia charge P225 and P250 monthly per head, respectively.

Meanwhile, the newest dormitory in UP, the Acacia Residence Hall, charges P3,000 monthly per student.

More than 300 dormitory applicants were initially assigned at the Acacia Residence Hall that has a maximum capacity of 483 residents. They were advised to provide their own mattresses, table and cabinets for the beginning of the semester.

A total of 700 slots were available after the final announcement of accepted online applicants on June 28 and only three appeals were continued on page 11

FIGHT BACK Adrian Kenneth Gutlay

Amador Cadano holds a placard calling for the ​​immediate release of his son Guiller from the San Jose City District Jail in Nueva Ecija on August 9, exactly a year ago when he was forcibly taken by alleged members of the military. Guiller along with fellow UP Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga student Gerald Salonga was studying the lives of farmers in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija when they were illegally arrested for supposed possession of firearms and explosives.

QC fire dept finds safety hazards in UP buildings JIRU RADA FOLLOWING THE RECENT destruction of two buildings on campus due to separate fire accidents, a preliminary inspection by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) of the buildings in the university on July revealed a number of fire safety hazards on campus.

On June 13, a gas tank leak from the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni

Association (CASAA) Food Center concessionaire Chef Grille caused a fire that gutted the entire establishment.

The owner and cook suffered multiple second-degree and first-degree burns in the arms and facial areas.

Two weeks later, on June 30, the UPAA Bowling and Recreation Center and parts of the UP Hostel’s canteen were also engulfed in

flames. According to reports of the investigation, the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit located near the barracks of the pin setters.

Four employees of the bowling center managed to get out the building safely while a volunteer fireman was injured.

According to Senior Inspector Andres Dauz Jr., Commander of the

New college scholarship law to benefit 1 of 10 public HS students KAREN ANN MACALALAD

THE ISKOLAR NG BAYAN ACT OF 2014 Program does not solve the tertiary education problems and it will benefit only 80,000 students, or 7.2 percent of the total 1.1 million public high school students in the country, the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) said to the Collegian.

NUSP Secretary-General Lovely Carbon said the continuous increase of school fees in colleges, college dropout rates, and growing out-ofschool youth population are the problems that should be prioritized.

NUSP is the largest student councils alliance established in 1957.

Signed into law on November 27, the Republic Act No. 10648 or the Iskolar ng Bayan program offers one-year scholarships to all top ten graduates of public high schools.

If the number of graduates reaches 1,000, an additional scholarship grant

will be given to those succeeding the tenth rank. Qualified students need to follow the admission requirements of their respective state universities and colleges (SUCs).

SUCs to shoulder expenses

However, no additional budget was given to UP, said Richard Gonzalo, who also assists in the implementation of the program in UP and who also serves as the university’s Socialized Tuition (ST) System director.

“Administering the program will be part of the UP budget, pero wala itong cash out and wala ring cash in.”

The government allocated P3.5 billion of its budget for scholarships in SUCs, and Commission on higher Education has P2.2-billion budget for student financial aid where the funds for the program execution shall be sourced for year 2015-2016. It is in the subsequent years when it will be

directly included in the SUCs’ budget.

After the one-year program expires, beneficiaries will need pay their own tuition or apply for scholarships. In UP, students need to apply under the ST System.

Chester Reyes, a Grade 10 student in Rizal National Science High School, said he will apply for another private scholarship in UP if ever he will be qualified for the program. Reyes belonged to the top 10 students since 2nd year high school and plans to take Chemistry in Diliman or Los Baños.

“Kung magbabayad ng tuition, mahihirapan kami dahil may pinapaaral pa na dalawang kapatid [ang magulang ko],” Reyes said.

Caveat Furthermore, universities may only admit graduates from their respective regions. UP Manila for example, can only accept applicants who graduated

in the National Capital Region.

In UP, a total of 644 slots were opened, with Diliman hosting the biggest number of beneficiaries with 208 slots, followed by Los Baños with 121 slots. However, only around 300 students were qualified out of the 400 who submitted the requirements, Gonzalo said.

Some applicants were disqualified because they applied to a campus outside the region where they graduated high school.

“Maraming student ang hindi makakapasok kasi may geographic limitation. Ang UP kumukuha naman from all regions,” Gonzalo said.

Gonzalo believed the program should be reviewed and the geographic restrictions be lifted. “[Pero] kailangan pa ring magUPCAT, para malaman ng [UP] kung saan pwedeng ilagay na course [ang estudyante].” 

Quezon City Fire District (QCFD) Station 4, almost all old structures in UP, such as student dormitories, have dilapidated fire exit ladders and busted emergency lights.

Most of these buildings also lack evacuation plans, said Dauz. Reports from the BFP showed that most UP dorms were not able to conduct fire drills in recent years. Proper fire safety management requires dorms to conduct fire drills twice a year to ensure that residents know what to do in case of fire.

The Intelligence and Investigation Section of the QCFD claimed that the UP administration refused to take part in conducting fire safety inspections of its buildings in the past. It was only just a few months ago when the administration became “very cooperative,” added the BFP. “It seems that the university and QCFD have no relationship for a very long time,” stated Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Nelson Castro, who admitted that the university should comply with the requirements of the law.

Section 5 of Republic Act 9514 or the Revised Fire Code of the Philippines authorizes BFP to “inspect at reasonable time, any building, structure, installation or premises for dangerous or hazardous conditions or materials.”

In the assessment of the campus’ disaster preparedness by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA) in October 2014, continued on page 11

6 KULTURA

Martes 18 Agosto 2015

Kalyeserye

ALDUB, KULTURANG POPULAR AT ANG NAKA-HASHTAG NA POLITIKA NG ATING PANAHON M Y K E L A N D R A D A a t J C S I B AYA N “ALDUB” SA BAHAY AT KLASRUM, palengke at opisina, FX at EDSA. “Sa Tamang Panahon” sa Facebook at Twitter posts, maging sa hirit ng mga politiko.

Tinawag na “Lola Nidora” si Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chair Patricia Licuanan. “Rogelio” na ang tawag sa pulis man, sikyu o sundalo.

Labas sa studio at sa mga kahon ng telebisyon at internet, ano nga ba ang nakikita, nararanasan at nalilikha ng manonood sa tinaguriang Kalyeserye?

Sa panahong inaakala ng ilan na heto na naman, nilalamon na naman tayo ng halimaw na lohika ng kapital, ano nga ba ang partisipasyon ng manonood sa pagusad ng noontime narrative?

Hashtag Sa akdang Critique of Everyday Life ni Henri Lefebvre, pinag-aralan niya ang sosyolohiya ng araw-araw na buhay.

Sinubukan niyang ipaliwanag ang sosyolohikal na dimensyon ng “libangan” at “pahinga” – mga bagay na inaasam ng tao, laluna ng sagad sa trabaho at hikahos sa buhay. Magkakaiba ang konsepto ng leisure batay sa sosyo-ekonomikong katayuan sa buhay: cafe, sine, libro, amusement park, simpleng park, radyo, telebisyon, Facebook, Youtube, tulog.

Literal na pahinga.

Ang mga napapanood sa telebisyon ay iniluwal, sa pangunahin, ng ethos ng kapitalismo. Sa lenggwahe ng internet, nakatala o naka-hashtag – pinagsamasama, pinagtagpi-tagpi – ang buhay ng bayan. Nangangahulugan ito na gaano man ka-progresibo o ka-reaksyonaryo ang nilalaman ng isang produktong itinetelebisa tulad ng Kalyeseryeng AlDub ay nakapaloob na ito sa mundo ng kapital. Puhunan ang AlDub na ikinakalakal sa manonood.

Sa kasaysayan ng telebisyon bilang kapital at kultural na produkto, naitakda ito bilang libangan o aliw. Pinalilitaw nito na ang panonood ay payak na pagtunghay lamang – na ang manonood ay pasibong tagatanggap ng anumang mensaheng idinuduldol sa kanya.

Ayon kay Lefebvre, “leisure and work and ‘private life’ make up a dialectical system, a global structure. Through this global structure we can reconstruct a historically real picture of man and the human at a certain step in their development: at a certain stage of alienation and disalienation.”

Taliwas sa misnomer na ang manonood ay “abangers” lang o “taga-abang” lang, tagasubaybay, tagatanggap lamang ng anumang kayamanan o basurang ihahain ng telebisyon, sine at internet, ang masang manonood ay aktibong manlilikha ng teksto at kahulugan.

Samakatuwid, sa Kalyeseryeng AlDub, may interpelasyon ang manonood – yayakapin, itatatwa o lilikha ng bago mula sa nasubaybayan – may kakayahang suriin ang kanilang sitwasyon. Maaaring ilugar ang kanilang sarili sa loob ng palabas, o di kaya’y ilabas ang

sarili mula sa kinapapaloobang mga estruktura at espasyo.

magkakaroon ng electric fan sa klasrum?

Kailan titigil ang pagbaha? Kailan magigising sa katotohanan? Sa tamang panahon.

Ang Kalyeserye ay gumagamit ng pormat at pormula ng hinahadlangang pagmamahal. Itinuturo ng palabas, malay man o di-malay, na dayalektikal ang pagmamahal. Sa panahon ng text at internet, hinahayaan ng KalyeSerye ang manonood na muling-paglimian ang pilosopiya ng pag-ibig.

Kontra-puntal sa metapisikal na konsepto ng pag-ibig ang inilahad ni Lola Nidora: “Ano ‘to, fan sign lang, love na?

Text-text lang, kayo na? Lahat ng bagay, nasa tamang panahon.” Dahil ang pag-ibig ay hindi lamang kilig o tadhana, kundi isang sosyo-politikal at emosyonal na relasyong binubuo at pinatatatag.

Munting teatro Street smart, ispontanyo at puno ng improbisasyon at inobasyon ang Kalyeserye – mga kultural na dekonstruksyon ng espasyo ng telebisyon.

Sa katunayan, malapit sa konsepto ng “street theater” ang AlDub – may konting script pero mas maraming adlib, at literal na nasa kalye ang kalahati, habang ang kalahati ay nasa studio. Ang splitscreen sa telebisyon ay equibokasyon ng intertextuality – ang dalawang lunan ay napagtatagpo sa pamamagitan ng teknolohiya ng kamera at transmisyong elektroniko.

Kung tutuusin, alanganing teleserye, alanganing noontime show ang AlDub. Madalas, parang mahabang MTV ang 30-minutong segment na ito dahil sa palitan ng mga dubsmash nina Alden at Yaya Dub, at panaka-nakang pagsingit nina Lola Nidora, Frankie (Jose Manalo) at Jimmy Santos.

Ang kultural na dekonstruksyon ay masisipat rin sa mga sikolohikallinggwistikong interbensiyon ni Paolo Ballesteros. Dati’y mga susing salita lamang tulad ng “babala” ang hinahanapan nila ng asawa (babalu), ngunit sa kalaunan, bilang bahagi ng ispontanyong katuwaan, isinisingit ni Paolo ang “asawa ni?” sa mga linya ni Lola Nidora tulad ng “sa bag... asawa ni... sabog.”

Sa mga neokolonya tulad ng Pilipinas, ang dekonstruksyon ay kultural na pag-aangkin rin. May pag-aangkin sa pamamagitan ng pagbabago ng orihinal na pamagat ng “Thinking Out Loud” ni Ed Sheeran. Dahil chorus ng nasabing kanta ang dinadubsmash ni Alden, ang natatatak sa manonood ay ang unang mga salita nito: “Darling I” na magiging “Dalingay” sa improbisasyon ni Lola Nidora. Ang ganitong mga pagaangkin o inobasyon ay matutunghayan rin sa iba pang politiko-kultural na aspeto ng bansa: habal-habal, ispageti, impersonators, at sa mismong mga programa sa telebisyon.

Komedya ng mga kamalian

Tamang panahon Split-screen ang pag-iibigan at pakikipagkomunikasyon. Ang pagkikita’y inaabangan, hinahadlangan, inaantala, kaya higit pang kinapapanabikan. Ang sagot sa tanong na kailan na magkikita sina Alden at Yaya.

Ito rin ang nagiging awtomatikong sagot sa lahat ng mga tanong. Kailan

Dibuho ni Joshua Rioja Disenyo ng pahina ni Jerome Tagaro

May hibo ng political satire ang kalyeserye, malay man o hindi. Kinaiinisan, kinatutuwaan, pinagtatawanan at minamahal ang tauhang si Lola Nidora (Wally Bayola).

Nirerepresenta ni Lola Nidora ang tiwali, matapobre, mukhang pera, bayolente, at kurakot. Ipinapamalas ni Lola Nidora ang sinasabi ni Mikhail Bakthin na “carnivalesque.” Sa karnabal, ang mga naghaharing uri na isinasalarawan ay ineeksahera, pinagtatawanan, binabato ng kamatis. Doon ay may temporal ngunit kolektibong kapangyarihan ang masang inaapi na makaganti o makahanap nang hustisya, kahit sa simbolikal na arena lamang.

Ang mga kalye sa Kalyeseryeng ito ay nagiging karnabal – espasyo upang ang abusado sa katauhan ni Lola Nidora ay ating pinagtatawanan.

Kasama sa nagpapalubha ng katatawanan ay ang “comedy of errors” o komedya ng mga kamalian ng represibong aparato ni Lola Nidora – ang mga bodyguard na Rogelio.

Pare-pareho ng shades at damit, kilos at hilatsa ang mga Rogelio. Pare-pareho ring dispalinghado. Madalas ay ispontanyo, sinasadya ng mga Rogelio na mag-epic fail ang masasamang plano ni Lola Nidora.

Sa komedyang ito, ang trahedya ng naghaharing uri – ang pakaudlot at pagkaunsyami ng kanilang mga kasamaan – ay ang tagumpay ng manonood.

Sa dulo, nasa ating manonood ang pagkatuto. Kailangan nating unawain na ang buhay – ang totoong mga kalyeserye ng ating buhay – ay komedya, drama, satire, pangarap, pag-asa. Ang mga tunggalian ay kasingkapal ng ating buhok o kasinglalim ng ating buntong-hininga. Ika nga ni Lefebvre, “Conflicts are not in the realm of thought alone, but in everyday life.” At naroon, sa pagharap sa mga tunggalian, ang tunay na kalyeserye ng bayan at sambayanan. 

KULTURA 7

Martes 18 Agosto 2015

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Pages of defiance

15 life lessons you can learn from notable Collegian editors MARY JOY CAPISTRANO posted on Aug. 18, 2015

1. Your breast is like a coconut.

A Jose Garcia Villa 1917-1918

Filipino poet, National Artist of the Philippines.

He opened the pages of the Collegian to liberal topics from sex to armed struggle.

5. Today the seeds of nationalism are slowly withering. It is the solemn and inescapable duty of university men to let it flower again.

A Reynato Puno 1960-1961

Twenty second chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

2. The true Filipino is a decolonized Filipino.

ARenato Constantino 1939-1940

Historian. The youngest editor in chief of the Collegian during the war years. Nationalism, radical politics of the people’s movement and the use of Tagalog language proliferated in the Collegian’s pages during his term.

6. Yet the most serious problem of the strike and certainly the most difficult to solve is the problem of loss of faith.

It is the complete breakdown of human relationship, the total lack of trust.

A Miriam Defensor Santiago 1968-1969

3. People would wait what the Collegian would say, and when the Collegian decided to express its editorial opinion, nothing in the world could stop the student paper.

A Elmer Ordonez 1950-1951

Collegian’s RASP (radical, activist student paper) orientation made it credible to the students and community members, often waiting for the paper’s stand whenever an issue breaks out.

7. But taking the lead is not the question of divine rights, but of opportunity.

A Antonio Tagamolilla 1970-1971

He was killed while in prison together with Ditto Sarmiento and Enrique Voltaire Garcia.

She was the first female editor in chief of the Collegian. She marked her term with anti-US neocolonial sentiments.

9. When I was asked to comment on the Save the Collegian campaign, I didn’t say ‘Save the Collegian from the Executive Vice President,’ I didn’t say ‘Save the Collegian from the Collegian staff; I said: ‘Save the Collegian from the faculty adviser.

A Francisco Arcellana 1976-1977

Faculty Adviser. He voluntarily resigned as the faculty adviser of the Collegian giving the students the opportunity to run the paper independently.

10. Ang mga mag-aaral ay iskolar ng bayan, ng silid-aralan, ng pamantasan at ng lipunan.

A Ma. Lourdes Mangahas 1979-1980

Most respected journalist in the Philippines, activist and political detainee. Mangahas was imprisoned for three and a half months due to written articles that are critical of the Marcos administration.

11. It is never enough to merely hope; we must always strive and struggle.

A Ruben Carranza, Jr. 1989-1990

He led the campaign on budget increase of the Collegian from P24 to P40 to continue with the operation of the weekly student paper.

13. Habang kinikilala ko ang aking bayan, tinatapik din ako ng panulat na nakikisangkot at diwang palaban. Bunsod na rin ito ng aking pinagmulan, ang Philippine Collegian.

14. When one creates art without being apologetic about its political implications, one is actually being quite ethical.

Concretely, one is defining her position between reaction and revolution.

Leading Angono, Rizal media practitioner and poet.

Transmits news and culture via the Rizal News Online.

Cultural Activist and a political detainee during Marcos regime when she worked at the Collegian as the managing editor.

A Richard Gappi 1996-1997

A Kerima Tariman 1999-2000

4. When the welfare of the university is disregarded by the officials on the campus, it is only right for the students to protest again such disregard of the University’s welfare.

A Homobono Adaza 1957-1958

Lawyer. He was expelled from the university after an editorial criticizing the UP administration.

8. Kung ‘di tayo kikibo, sino ang kikibo?

Kung hindi tayo kikilos, sino ang kikilos?

Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa?

A Abraham Sarmiento Jr. 1975-1976

He fought martial law through the power of the pen and was imprisoned for seven months. He died in prison at the age of 27 after suffering a heart attack.

12. Kung wala ang Collegian, malaki ang nawala sa mga estudyante; kung wala ang mga mag-aaral, nawala na ang lahat sa Collegian.

A Alecks Pabico 1991-1992

The Collegian is funded by the students to maintain its autonomy from administration’s interference.

15. Huwag kang maging simpleng mamamahayag. Maging tao ka. Hindi lang tayo tagamasid ng kasaysayan; dapat lumalahok tayo sa paghuhubog nito.

Madali lang matuto at mamulat.

A Kenneth Guda 2000-2001

Editor in Chief of Pinoy Weekly, an alternative and progressive online news magazine focused on investigative journalism.

8 LATHALAIN

Martes 18 Agosto 2015

P e l a k c a id L na de Bay and the Threat of th The Lagu e ke Expressway Dike Projec Laguna La t

The government touts the project as a step towards development. The fisherfolk however are not so easily deceived, and they know that they will have to fight not only for their safety and livelihood, but also for the sake of the lake they call their home.

Small fry

A N D R E A J O YC E LU C A S FOR THE FISHERFOLK LIVING ON the shores of the Laguna de Bay, the lake is the gift of home. Decades of fishing in its waters have taught them not only the generosity of nature but also the value of hard work and the importance of collective effort.

Already, this paradise and their way of life have been threatened by dangerous floods since the construction of the Napindan Dam in 1983, the rise of factories that huddle around the lake, and the dominance of large fishing corporations. Yet another more sinister threat looms over Laguna de Bay. The Department of Public Works and Highways has set a total of 700 hectares of the lake for reclamation, an area almost twice as big as the UP Diliman campus, to give rise to the Laguna Lake Expressway-Dike Project (LLEDP). It is one of President Benigno Aquino III's most ambitious Private-Public Partnership (PPP) project to date, with a projected cost of P122.8 billion.

as irrigation for crops and facilitates the transport of people and goods.

"Kaya iyang hanapbuhay naming 'yan, mapakikinabangan [sana] hanggang sa kaapu-apuhan namin," says Viñallon. He relates that since his childhood, he has worked with his father and grandfather on trips to the lake. Now that he has his own family, fishing has become his whole life -- not that he has many other options, since there are few other available jobs.

"Sa construction [naman], wala nang tatanggap sa'min, [kasi] may mga edad na kami," he added.

If not opposed, the LLEDP would threaten the fisherfolk's only source of income, as the reclamation will push their fishing grounds farther out on the lake. "Sa gasolina pa lang, lugi na kami," Viñallon said. Their daily haul would also eventually be diminished, because the fishermen will have to share smaller fishing grounds and the dike will restrict the flow of saltwater into the lake and further damage its fragile ecosystem.

Residents also believe the project will only exacerbate flooding in the area.

"Sigurado, lahat ng baybayin, [lulubog]," said Viñallon. Water in the lake has now mostly been shut off from the Pasig River, the only way lake water can spill over to the West Philippine Sea. When typhoon Ondoy struck in 2009, most of the fishing towns around the lake were heavily inundated, with floodwater reaching up to four feet. During the regular rainy season, floods may take up to four months for the water to subside.

Daybreak often found fishermen far out on the lake on their well-worn boats. They work on fishpens, called a "baklad," which they assembled using bamboo poles and nylon nets. "Dito, hindi [nauubos] ang isda kasi inaalagaan namin," said Virgilio Viñallon, president of Nagkakaisang Samahan ng Maliliit na Mangingisda ng Muntinlupa (NAGSAMA).

Maintaining these fishpens means regularly repairing or replacing the nets and bamboo poles and convincing other fishermen not to engage in the practice called "pamamanti." This involves spearing the water to force the fish towards the nets, a practice which disturbs the mating habits of the fish.

After a day's work, the catch are sold fresh on roadside markets, earning them at least P400 pesos daily. Aside from the usual fish like tilapia and bangus, the fishermen have also learned to make use of other species of fish considered as pests, such as the knife fish, which they use to make fish balls and patis.

But the lake's rich resources benefit not only the fisherfolk communities.

Big fish No less than 100,000 metric tons of While prospects are dismal for the fish are caught from the lake every fisherfolk, it is a different story for the year, supplying 40 percent of Metro larger players in the game. In March, Manila's demand. The lake also serves three conglomerates have been shortlisted for the project, comprised of big companies like San Miguel Holdings

Corporation, Ayala Corporation, Ayala Land Inc., and SM Prime Holdings Inc. The bidding process followed the procedures for public bidding set out in the Philippine Build-Operate-andTransfer Law, where the responsibility to build and operate is taken on by the private partner, until the prescribed time when the PPP project will be turned over to the government. In the case of the LLEDP, the private partner will transfer the rights to operate the project to the government by 2053.

Such an arrangement is attractive to investors, especially since the government ensures cost recovery in case the project fails to churn out the expected levels of profit. "Wala silang lugi," said Annabel San Juan, staff of Bayan Southern Tagalog.

Aside from profits from toll collection, the winning bidders will also be granted rights to seven man-made islands that would be constructed on the lake. These lands are reserved for "mixed use," which means the corporations are free to use them for any purpose they deem fit, San Juan explained.

While competition grows more aggressive among the competitors, fishermen like Viñallon are left out of the negotiating table. Historically, Viñallon said, private ventures in the area have ignored the fisherfolk's safety and welfare in pursuit of only one goal: to exploit the lake's wealth of resources and milk them for profit.

For instance, there are currently about 200 factories that use the lake to cool their industrial machinery. To prevent the machines from rusting rapidly, it was necessary for government authorities to control the flow of saltwater into the lake through the Napindan dam,

San Juan said. This has resulted in the accumulation of waste in the lake water and the disappearance of certain species of fish, she explained.

The fisherfolk thus have no other choice but to organize their communities in opposition to the LLEDP and prevent the threat of its menace. "[Para] ito sa mga anak at mga apo namin, sa mga susunod na salinlahi," said Viñallon.

His dream for his children and grandchildren is simple: that in the future, they could still wake up in the morning and breathe in the fresh, cool air blowing from the lake that they could still call home.

The LLEDP is targeted to be completed eight years from now, but for the fisherfolk of the Laguna de Bay, the fight for their life, livelihood, and the lake they call their home has already begun. 

Artwork by Chester Higuit Page Layout by Jan Andrei Cobey

LATHALAIN 9

Martes 18 Agosto 2015

CLASS STRUGGLE ALDRIN VILLEGAS and VICTOR GREGOR LIMON

Illustration by Rosette Abogado Page design by John Reczon Calay

LONG LINES, TEDIOUS PROCESSES, unrealistic deadlines, grumpy administration staff, overbooked classes, frustrated professors, angry parents, expensive tuition—it’s the same picture every enrollment and it’s enough to make an iskolar ng bayan wonder if he’s in the right university.

As the official registration period ends on Friday, August 14, and the UP community finally eases into the semester, we take a long, hard look at UP Diliman’s (UPD) enrollment system to attempt to identify the roots of the crisis. We try our best to leave out the expletives.

Overbooked On average, around 24,500 students enroll yearly in UPD, while around 2,100 faculty are employed.

According to the UP system’s website, the faculty-student ratio is 1:16, but the reality is far from this claim.

This year, the total number of freshmen enrollees alone increased by more than 800 according to UPD Chancellor Michael Tan. Compared to an estimated 2,700 enrolled freshmen last year, more than 3,500 UP College Admission Test passers enrolled this semester.

Over the past four years, the overall population of undergraduate students has grown by 6.4 percent, with an average annual growth rate of more than two percent, according to data from the Office of the University Registrar.

No wonder overbooked classes have become the rule rather than the exception. For the General (GE) subject English 10, for example, 59 classes were opened this semester, compared to 81 classes offered in the second semester of last year.

With a regular load of 25 students per class, this means there are 550 less slots to go around.

English 10 is a required GE subject for all freshmen under the new curricula approved by the University Council in 2012.

As a result, students have to personally appeal to professors to take them in and many professors have no choice but to overbook their classes to accommodate these students. Some professors, however, can only do so much. For instance, Industrial Engineering (IE) Instructor Christian Boydon says he could not admit more students because his two IE 3 classes this semester are already almost double the ideal size of 30 students.

Clearly, if this situation continues, and UP’s resources remain the same, the university will find it even more difficult to provide quality and accessible education in the future.

"Being underload is not a reason anymore [to be accepted in a class], because almost all are underload [anyway]. We can only blame the UP administration for that, or whoever holds responsibility for [this] situation.

Now, you know that you have a lot to fight for [ just to be able to study] in this state university," Boydon said.

The enrollment process burdens the faculty with heavy workloads, according to College of Arts and Letters Instructor Michael Andrada, who is forced to open an additional class on top of his regular teaching load of four classes.

Additional loads for professors diminish their time for research and limit output for the institution, said Student Regent Miguel Enrico Pangalangan.

Labyrinthine process The glaring deficit in the number of class slots is exacerbated further by an inefficient enrollment process, said Pangalangan. Underloaded students, or those who have enlisted less than the minimum academic load of 15 units, and those who cannot afford to pay tuition, are burdened with unrealistic deadlines, tedious processes, and additional expenses such as loan interests and penalty fees.

This year, the last day of regular enrollment and first day of classes coincide on August 3, which means those who are unable to enroll a full load will have to both attend classes and look for available slots in other already overbooked classes.

Meanwhile, late enrollment and payment has been extended until August 14. Within a week, students must raise funds for their tuition or get approved for a tuition loan. Students who are unable to pay tuition will be purged from the class list and may no longer attend classes.

At the third floor of Vinzons Hall, infamously dubbed as “the debt row,” students queue up to clear outstanding loans from previous semesters just to be allowed to apply for another loan. The “debt row” often reaches the first and

second floors of the student center.

Long lines for tuition loan board indicate that many students can no longer afford UP tuition—no thanks to the Socialized Tuition System (STS), where students receive discounts based on their capacity to pay. This year, only less than one percent, or about one of ten UP students, enjoy free tuition. (see related article on page 4) System Overhaul Clearly, if this situation continues, and UP’s resources remain the same, the university will find it even more difficult to provide quality and accessible education in the future.

In the 2016 budget proposed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), UP will get barely half of what it needs next year. (see related article on page 3) Reforms in the enrollment processes is an urgent step towards a system that can efficiently manage the university’s finite resources and accommodate the needs of UP students and academic personnel.

The roots of this crisis however begs the whole UP community’s united front against the state’s abandonment not only of UP education, but of public education in general.

Rather than be complicit with the national government in commodifying education by transferring the burden of financing public education to students and their parents, UP in solidarity with other state colleges and universities must continue to vigorously demand for higher state subsidy and reject policies that defeat this urgent call.

Only by doing so will the university finally break the vicious cycle and genuinely uphold its mandate of honor, excellence, and service to the people. 

3 SHORT-TERM REFORMS TO THE ENROLLMENT SYSTEM 1. EXPAND THE SCOPE OF CRS. The UP administration must take the responsibility to ensure students can enroll in classes they need.

Before opening the enlistment batch runs, the administration must ensure that the number of slots will equal the anticipated number of enrollees. This will render the “prerog” system obsolete, minimize paperwork, and maximize the CRS’s automated system of allocating slots based on a fair criteria.

2. DRAFT AN OFFICIAL ENROLLMENT GUIDEBOOK. Processes such as readmission requests, change matriculation, and removal of ineligibilities must be guided by a clear and simple set of guidelines that aim to facilitate rather than bureaucratize the enrollment process. Streamlining decision-making processes will help minimize the time needed to response to enrollment-related queries and requests. The drafting of this guidebook must involve the active and direct participation of student and faculty representatives.

3. ADJUST THE ENROLLMENT SCHEDULE. The enrollment schedule must allow at least a week before the first day of classes. This will provide a transition period where appeals, issues, and logistical difficulties may be addressed and resolved. Students and faculty will also have ample time to prepare for the academic year. The administration must also extend help to student organizations, councils, institutions, faculty groups and employee unions who are in the best to position to reach out to the UP community and ensure effective information dissemination.

10 OPINYON

Martes 18 Agosto 2015

Larger than Life

Make the cut PAT R I C I A R A M O S

WHENEVER I FEEL LIKE I DON’T have my life in order, I need only to check Noynoy’s track record to be reassured immediately that I’ve still got it better. I'm not boasting about being better than the president here, but who wouldn’t be disappointed upon looking back at his term and observing where his priorities lie?

From the shameless publicity of his love life in the youth of his term, to choosing to guest on a Gandang Gabi Vice episode over visiting the victims of Yolanda, to failing to even mention the slain SAF 44 soldiers in his last SONA, and down to his last year upon the release of the 2016 budget, Noynoy has proved time and again that he needs to get his priorities in check.

This year, his budget message boasts economic growth as he aims to distribute the approved 3.002 trillion pesos into the Aquino Social Contract’s five priority areas (including but not limited to security and defense, anti-corruption, economy, and education). Despite the near doubling of the budget in six years according to the administration, things don’t seem to be looking up – most especially in the sector of education.

In UP, students are expected and even required to pay staggering amounts under the Socialized Tuition System in order to make up for the shortcomings brought about by the lack of state subsidy.

In 2015, 3.2 billion of the 13.14 billion pesos was reserved for the Philippine General Hospital. The modernization of their equipment partly explains the proposed budget drop to 10.9 billion pesos this coming 2016. While President Pascual claims that there is actually an increase for UP’s academic units, the current state of the university paints a totally different picture.

Within this year alone, UP students have been the witnesses to the destruction of both the CASAA and part of the alumni center due to inadequate fire safety measures; a lack of subjects due to the sudden oversaturation of enrollees; the crisis with housing and dormitory applications; and the omnipresent menace of an unfair socialized tuition scheme.

The lamentation among my professors, that UP has been and maybe always will be “just poor,” echoes throughout the semesters.

When one tries to dig deeper

It must be so easy to tell them to work harder and to prioritize “studying and earning their education” rather than complaining for what they are entitled to in the first place

however, the discussion cannot end as there is the inevitable question of how to repair these problems and who has to pay for them.

Sadly, ours is a society that believes in the “independence” of tertiary education students despite UP being a state university.

Enrollees chose to pursue their studies and so must pay the price.

It must be so easy to tell them to work harder and to prioritize “studying and earning their education” rather than complaining for what they are entitled to in the first place.

Considering the 740.5 billion peso reservation for total debt expenditure, 500 billion pesos worth of lump sums, and the looming influx of expensive election campaigns, it’s both disheartening and enraging to think about.

It no longer falls under the argument of being “spoiled,” but of what the government is obliged to give them. Here’s a wild guess: we students will stop complaining and get our priorities in order only when the government tasked to help us do so, get theirs in order first. 

Sipat

CHESTER HIGUIT

NANGAKO AKO SA SARILI KO NOON na kailanma’y hindi ako makikibahagi sa anumang kilos-protesta.

Dati, lagi kong nakikita ang mga aktibista sa telebisyon na puro lang reklamo, ingay at malaking abala sa daloy ng trapiko. May ilan pa nga akong naririnig na binabayaran lang ‘yung iba para sumama. Pero taliwas ito sa mga nakita ko bilang photographer ng Kule—malayong-malayo ito sa tunay na larawan ng aktibismo.

Sa tagal ko nang kumukuha ng litrato para sa Kule, natuklasan kong sa likod ng bawat sigaw at pagmartsa ng mga aktibista ay ang pagnanais na makatulong sa mga mag-aaral at iba pang sektor ng lipunan sa patuloy na panawagan para sa kanilang mga karapatan.

Muli ko silang nakita at nakunan ng larawan nitong nakaraang linggo nang makiisa ako sa mga estudyanteng naghihintay na mabigyan ng slot sa mga murang dormitoryo sa UP. Sa bawat pagpitik ko sa kamera, napupuno ako ng pagkadismaya lalo na’t kasabay kong naririnig ang daing ng mga estudyanteng

Mahirap tanggapin na sa kabila ng pagiging isang state university ng UP, walang sapat na pondo para sa pabahay ng mga estudyante lalo na para sa mga estudyanteng nakatira sa malalayong lugar

napilitang matulog sa sunken garden o gumastos ng malaking pera upang ipambayad sa ilang araw nilang panunuluyan sa mga paupahang bahay sa paligid ng unibersidad.

Mahirap tanggapin na sa kabila ng pagiging isang state university ng UP, walang sapat na pondo para sa pabahay ng mga estudyante lalo na para sa mga estudyanteng nakatira sa malalayong lugar.

Mas nakapanlulumong isipin na umaasa na lamang ang UP sa mga pribadong kumpanya na handang mamuhunan sa unibersidad kapalit ang mas mahal na renta.

“Hirap na nga kaming makabayad ng tuition, pati ba naman sa dormitoryo sisingilin pa kami ng mahal,” ilan sa mga katagang tumatak sa akin habang pinakikinggan ang panagawan ng mga iskolar ng bayan sa harap ni Chancellor Tan. Nangibabaw ang maluha-luhang boses ng ate sa gitna ng protesta.

Naisip ko tuloy na kahit papaano, mapalad na ang mahigit 300 dormers dahil may mga taong tumitindig para sa kanilang karapatan at nanawagan upang agaran silang mabigyan ng tulong.

Gayunman, umaasa ako na sa muling pag-usbong ng mga isyu na magkakait sa karapatan ng mga mag-aaral, patuloy na makikibahagi at titindig para sa kanilang karapatan ang bawat mamamayan.

Matapos kong kumuha ng mga larawan, pansamantala kong iginilid ang lente ng kamera ko at tulad ng ginagawa ko sa loob ng dalawang taon, sinabayan ko ang sigaw ng mga nagpoprotesta. Bahagi man ako o hindi ng mga nawalan ng matutuluyan, hindi ako mananatiling nakaupo para lang umasa, maghintay at umasang muli. Kailangang tumindig upang ipanawagan ang iniipit na karapatan ng mamamayan. 

Polo F. Imperial

BIG BANG THEORY TODAY, I DECIDED THAT I HAVE TO DO something about my weight.

And it all started when I did not wake up an hour before my 8:30 GE class. Now I believe most normal guys my age need only a maximum of half an hour to get ready for class. But I am not “most normal guys”— unfortunately—and it’s not because I use hair products.

The fact of the matter is that I am fat—and not in a cute chubby, Chouji way, but in the truest sense of the word. Last time I checked, I weigh 95.89 kilograms, which means I am about as heavy as an entire baby African elephant or roughly two average newborn hippos combined. (My avatar for this column does not effectively illustrate this, but I am friends with the Graphics folks, and they want me to look nice at least once in my life.)

Now largeness runs in our family. Both my parents are tall, and so are my twin brothers, whom I secretly call Elladan and Elrohir because they are never at home. I am tall myself, but in a freakish twist of fate, and perhaps a “fat” gene somewhere in our family tree, I was also born with a painfully slow metabolism.

Being massive severely limits the social activities I can participate in and renders even the simplest of tasks quite difficult—such as getting myself out of bed. This morning, it took me until 8:22 AM before I could muster enough energy to get my body out of inertia. By the time I successfully dragged myself to my class at the top floor of CNB, it was already 8:45 AM. The room is packed. During the first week of the semester, there was a flood of appeals from emotional students who needed a GE class, and all the good professor could do was to take them in—because who else would? The UP administration does not care if professors overbooked their classes, or if students are way below the minimum academic load. And so our class ballooned into 51 students.

Now right smack in the middle of the classroom was an empty seat. Great, I thought. Now I only have to squeeze my tiny body in through the narrow space between rows 1 and 2. Shall I give my classmates the butt or the crotch while I sumimasen my way towards the empty chair?

And then I saw her: Anna, the most attractive female of my batch and the top scorer in our finals exam in Math 17 class last year, sitting beside the empty seat. Holy shit. I froze for about four seconds, not knowing what to do.

And then I ran away from the classroom door.

So today I decided that I have to do something about my weight. It is for my own good, because I must never miss that class again. Tuition in UP is too expensive, right? If I am not skipping classes to do something more important, then I must make the most out of every P1,500 per unit. Ganbatte! 

sipat

OPINYON 11

Martes 18 August 2015

Dorm application woes welcome UP students

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continued from page 5 rejected overall. As of press time, more than 3,500 students have checked in to the dormitories.

“Students who wish to apply for a dorm may still apply as long as there are still available slots,” said OVCSA Neil Martial Santillan.

Call for transparency In a letter written by Office of the Student Regent (OSR) to Chancellor Michael Tan, SR Miguel Pangalangan urged the administration to have student representation in the DOAC from the OSR, the USC and the Alliance of Concerned Dormitories.

DOAC is tasked to process the appeals in the university’s student housing applications under the jurisdiction of the OVCSA. Chancellor Tan appointed Raquel Florendo as chairperson along with OSH Officer-in-charge Shirley Guevarra as one of the members.

In the 2010 General Guidelines on Accommodation in UP Diliman Residence Halls, dorm application is determined by a point system based on the students’ place of origin (45 percent) and their Socialized Tuition System bracket (55 percent).

EKSENANG P EY U PS

This year, DOAC did not include STS in the process and only the geographical location and socioeconomic status thru the Income Tax Return of the applicant’s FIRST ISSUE EDISHUN! parents were assessed, said Chancellor MULING NAGBABALIK ANG INYONG Kiyoko sa inyong version na Boys like Boys.

Tan. In addition, students were required peyborit Kuletera para sa unang isyu Nagtataka nga ako kung bakit walang to submit their True Copy of Grades. ng pinakamamahal nating pang-takip reperee na umawat agad sa inyo eh! Chika!

Dormitory applicants with deficiencies sa ulan, ang Philippine Collegian! Chos!

Paepal. News flies very fast nowadays di in requirements were not able to FYI freshies, hindi lang nagmumulat sa ba? So one day, nang mapag-isipan ng isang provide necessary documents mahahalagang isyu ng ating lipunan ang top official sa ating admin na magpafeeding because announcements regarding Kule, prinoprotektahan din tayo nito mula sa program sa ating mga alumni, this top this matter were not posted earlier. The ulan! At bilang pangwelkam sa inyo, eto ang official made balaj sa aking one and only administration should review and repeal top three three chikas ng pamantasan for loves na Kule opis. This paepal official told anti-student policies and guidelines in you lovely Freshies! the people na we lack eti*s daw. Sobra ka dorm admissions, added Pangalangan.

Freshie walk. Perstaym gumorabels ni sir ha nahurt kami nang pavery light, pero What caused the recent dormitory ateng sa peyups and while walking around sa totoo lang, nothing beats your comment admission problems was the rise in the the acad oval, may papa na dumating. other than the repressive student policies number of new students admitted to Maygahd teh! Habang papalapit na si that best describe your term. Hahaha.

Diliman this year, said Chancellor Tan. koya, paflip flip ng hairlalu with matching We’ve been accused of so many things and Around 1,000 students were accepted majonda eyes and pouty lips ang lola niyo. that one is nothing special. Pak! with a “Degree Program with Available Natameme tuloy siya nang ichika siya ni Awtsu beh. Sinetch iteng dating Kuletera Slot” status. Last academic year, UPD had koyang pogi with tulo laway ang peg, “Ate na nabundol daw ng carlaloo ng isang cutie almost 1,200 unfilled slots while this year saan ang O.U.R.?” Sumagot si ateng with student leader? Wit ko knows kung sinetch has only around 400. matching pagkadismaya, “Freshie lang din talaga ang may kasalanan pero according Dormers and student activists po ako.” Kabog ang mukhang jutander! to our sources, hindi naman major major held a vigil in front of the Kalayaan Hanggang julalay lang talaga ang tingin sa ang damages. The thing is, kinilig pa si Residence Hall on August 5 to protest kanya ni papa koya. Naimbyerna tuloy si ateng Kuletera nung hindi exactly nag-sorry the inadequacy of student lodging and ateng at nagwalkie outie na. si cutie student leader. Sabi raw kasi sa the slow progress of dorm application Hayley Kiyoko. Google her name fellow kanya, “I apologize.” Ibang level po talaga new sbr ief s process in the university.  iskeys and watch her music video Girls like sa breeding si cutie student leader! Too bad, Girls. Coz our next chika may have been hindi naming siya pwedeng pangalanan inspired by this latest song to rock my oh- dito. Orayt! Rakenrol to da world! police so fabulous world. A little bird visited our I hope na-enjoy niyo ang mga chika natin briefs office one night and made chika about the for the week kahit wala itong relevance jombagan na naganap between two hot at all sa paghahangad natin ng greater PLAYBACK hunky tibeks. According to the little bird, the state subsidy for education. And for you cause of the boxing match is our favorite freshies na gustong mameet ang yours truly continued from page 5 window in the country – the jalousie. kuletera, akyat lang sa Vinzons 4th floor and Nakow, mahiya naman si madam Hayley I’ll show you my chikas. *wink wink.  that such mechanisms and arrangements sipat shall sustain and protect the environment in accordance with law, and be exclusive of the academic core zone” of the campus.

To resolve this legal constraint, the OVCCA suggested that the fire station TEXT may include an educational space that back would provide lectures on fire safety.

Estimated cost of damages in the CASAA fire amounted to P50,000, excluding damages to properties of the concessionaires, said District Fire Marshall Jesus Fernandez of the QCPD NEXT WEEK’S QUESTIONS: BFP. Total damages in the bowling center Anong kwentong fire is estimated at P200,000.

Meanwhile, in a dialogue between enrolment mo? the CASAA concessionaires and the UP Anong masasabi mo sa administration at Palma Hall on August unang isyu ng Kule?

11, the Business Concessions Office (BCO) failed to provide plans for the rebuilding of the canteen. In an interview Ipadala ang inyong mga with the Collegian, UPAA Bowling Center sagot, opinyon at komento sa Manager Elna Divino disclosed that Kule! Itype ang KULE <space> there are also no plans yet to rebuild the STUDENT NUMBER <space> building.

PANGALAN at kurso at ipadala sa Six of the eight concessionaires of CASAA have temporarily resumed their operations at the Zoology Building since July 30. Members of the CASAA service crew were rehired at the Molave and CONTACT US! Email us at Acacia residence halls as maintenance kule1516@gmail.com. Save Word staff, while some employees of the attachments in Rich Text Format, with bowling center are now working at the INBOX,NEWSCAN or CONTRIB in the subject. Always include your full UP Alumni Canteen.  name, address and contact details

QC fire dept finds safety hazards in UP buildings

only 80 out of the 140 buildings in the university responded in the survey.

Results show that only 62 buildings have fire extinguishers and that some of these units have reached their expiration dates, while 41 buildings have evacuation plans. Only 19 buildings have conducted disaster drills.

The UP Diliman University Student Council (USC), meanwhile, vowed to work with colleges and dormitories to launch a campaign to raise awareness on disaster risk reduction management. The USC is also willing to conduct earthquake and fire drills with the help of the local city government and the UP administration, said Environmental Concerns Committee Head Sam Estrella.

After the recent fire incidents in the campus, the Quezon City Local Government Unit (QC LGU) met with the UP administration in July to discuss the proposal to reinstate the UP Fire Department. The university’s fire station was closed down after its old fire trucks were retired.

“The station will be built by the QC LGU at their own cost and UP in return should provide the space,” said Castro. However, under RA 9500 or the UP Charter of 2008, land leases in the campus shall not conflict with the academic mission of the university.

Section 22 (c) states that UP “may plan, design, approve and/or cause the implementation of land leases provided

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briefs Be a Maroon

Freshies! Ito na ang pagkakataon niyong makalaro ang UP Fighting Maroons at PLAYBACK Lady Maroons! Ipakita ang inyong Maroon Pride sa Be A Maroon ngayong August 22 (Sabado, 3-6 PM) sa UP Diliman Sunken Garden! Registration starts at 2:30 PM. Magsign-upsipat para siguradong makakuha ng slots: bit.ly/BeAMaroon 'Wag magpapahuli! Sakay na sa Ultimate Freshie Ride na ng UFM 2015!

Menor de Edad: The UP Music Circle 17th Anniversary Gig

Come and join us as we celebrate 17 years of our beloved org, The UP Music Circle! Feel that college nostalgia on August 28 (Friday, 8PM) at Mow’s Matalino in Quezon City.

Featured bands include Amongst Wolves, Tonight We Sleep, The Squibs, Sheenola, Maxine Jarantilla – Music, Jubbakill, Aimless, and The Meaningful Band. This event is free.

See you there! #PahinogNa

Life Begins: The UP Kalilayan 40th Anniversary Celebration

The UP Kalilayan, the provincial organization of UP students from Quezon and Aurora, celebrates its 40th anniversary this week. Homecoming Party will be held at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel in Quezon City on August 22 (Saturday, 6PM). Dress code for both members and alumni is business formal.

Sa huling pag-akyat ni Benigno Aquino III sa entablado ng Batasan upang muling ipagmalaki ang mga tagumpay umano ng kanyang gobyerno, inilantad ng taumbayan ang tunay na kalagayan ng bansa. Bitbit ng aabot sa 20,000 miyembro ng iba't ibang sektor ang mga panawagang malaon nang isinasantabi ng administrasyong sa loob ng anim na taon ay puno ng kapabayaan, katiwalian, panlilinlang, at karahasan.

Dibuho ni Chester Higuit Mga kuha nina Darren Bendanillo, Chester Higuit, Karen Ann Macalalad at Jiru Rada