Solons seek to increase SUCs budget — Page 3 Philippine Collegian Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas - Diliman 6 Oktubre 2011 Taon 89, Blg. 15
DILIMAN COMMUNE Kultura
Dibuho ni RD Aliposa
A series of drills
Banta sa pag-iral
Conflicted peace
Opinyon Page 8
Editoryal Pahina 2
Features Page 6
6
On column-writing and filling space Terminal Cases Delfin Mercado
I
t was always my intention to totally conquer this space, this side of the Collegian’s front cover weekly, to fill every sentence with my personal angst, to utilize every comma and dash for my benefit. For fifteen issues now, I strived to write about things that I think would, at the very least, be tangentially related to you, the reader. I tried to talk about relevant things – from discussing how a reduced subsidy for UP would undermine its operations to how Harry Potter has become an integral part of our childhood. I tried to talk about my life, and piece by piece reveal upon you my identity, my background, the context in which I write this column. I tried to conjure an illusion of you and me building a budding relationship – each week I reveal a part of myself to ardent readers who would notice the little nuances of my personality that I add upon my musings. Slowly but steadily, I thought, Delfin Mercado would grow into a different being, thriving and existing in this small column space, a part of me that is not totally me, an independent creation. Each week, I try to come up with something fresh, something that would let me cover this ten-inch column with text, something that would let me once again claim this piece of space for my own. And yet, when the time comes for me to sit down and write this column, all ideas for a good write-up disappear, leaving me staring at a blank Word document for a long while, with the cursor in the screen blinking for more than a hundred times before I even attempt to write the first word. I don’t believe in writer’s block or any of that lot. It’s just that the very thought of owning your own space is too overwhelming for me. Instead of claiming this space for myself, the column space conquered me. For you, reader, I may be anyone whom you’ll meet in the sidewalks, the staircases, maybe even a classmate in one subject. But I can only be Delfin Mercado the columnist through this narrow space. My identity, my existence in your plane of reality is and will always be connected with this column. Just as land can never be truly a property of the landlord, this space right here can never be truly mine. And as an old friend always tells me, “You can never really own something that outlives you.” ●
2 • Kulê Opinyon
Huwebes 6 Oktubre 2011
QUOTED
Banta sa pag-iral Malaon nang sinasabing magkatambal ang kasaysayan ng Philippine Collegian at ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. Sa mga pahina ng Kulê dumaloy ang sanga-sangang istorya ng pagsibol, paglago at pagbabagonghubog ng pamantasan. Kung noong panahon matapos ng Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig ay isyu ng academic freedom ang tampok sa mga pahina ng Kulê, represyong pulitikal at laganap na paniniil naman ang ibinandera nito noong kasagsagan ng diktaduryang Marcos. Sa panahong kinailangang suriin ang mga suliraning panlipunan sa isang pangkabuuang tanaw, inigpawan ng Kulê ang tradisyunal na porma ng pamamayahag ng mga pahayagang pangkampus at niyakap ang paguulat ng mga isyung labas pa sa mga aktibidad ng mga estudyante – mga isyung tumatalakay sa mga batayang sektor ng lipunan. Sa kasalukuyan, tampok sa mga pahina ng Kulê ang isa sa pinakamalalaking suliraning kinahaharap ng pamantasan – ang sistemikong pagliit ng inilalaang subsidyo ng pamahalaan para sa operasyon at patuloy na pag-iral nito bilang pamantasan ng bayan. Sa susunod na taon, tanging P5.54 bilyon lamang ng kabuuang P17 bilyong pangangailangan ng UP ang nakatakdang ibigay ng pamahalaan, isang dagok na nagbunsod ng malawakang kilos-protestang isinagawa ng mga mag-aaral, guro at kawani ng pamantasan kamakailan. Ngunit hindi lamang ang pamantasan ang nakadarama ng pagliit ng pondo. Tila masamang biro man, ngunit maging sa usapin ng salapi ay tila hindi mapaghihiwalay ang tadhana ng UP at Kulê. Sa kasalukuyan, nanatiling P40 ang singil sa bawat mag-aaral kada semestre para sa publikasyon ng Kulê – 1989 pa noong una itong ipatupad, halos 22 taon na ang lumipas. Kung isasaalangalang ang pagtaas ng presyo ng
bilihin, wala pang P23 ang inflationadjusted value ng P40 Collegian fee na sinisingil hanggang sa kasalukuyan. Mahigit dalawang dekada na ang nagdaan mula nang huling magtaas ng singil ang Kulê, at bunsod ng patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng papel at pagpapaimprenta, tauntaon ay suliranin para sa patnugutan kung paano pagkakasyahin ang hindi na lumalaking pondo nito. Iba’t ibang porma na ng pagtitipid ang ipinatupad – mula sa pagpapababa ng honorarium ng mga kawani hanggang sa pagbabawas hindi lamang ng mga pahina ng pahayagan kung hindi maging ng bilang ng isyu kada semestre. Ngunit gaano man tipirin ang pondo ng Kulê, sadyang hindi na sapat ang nakokolekta mula sa mga magaaral upang pondohan ang operasyon nito. Taun-taon, tinatayang lampas P230,000 ang kakulangan sa badyet ng Kulê, kakulangang sa huling nakaraang limang taon ay napunan ng pondong hindi nagamit noong AY 2006-2007, bunsod ng paghihigpit ng administrasyon ng UP sa patnugutan hinggil sa paghawak ng pondo ng pahayagan kasabay ng sapilitan nitong pagtaas sa matrikula at iba pang bayarin. Nagbunsod ang iringan ng pagkaantala sa publikasyon ng Kulê noong panahong iyon, at mahigit isang milyong piso ang natira sa pondo ng Kulê. Nagamit ang salaping ito ng mga sumunod pang termino para ipantapal sa kakulangan ng pondo ng Kulê. Ngunit sa pagtatapos ng kasalukuyang termino, halos masasaid na ang nasabing reserbang pondo. Sa ganitong lagay, nanganganib ang kinabukasan ng pahayagan. Kung hindi man lubusang naipasara ng rehimeng Marcos ang Kulê, hindi malayong mangyari iyon sa kasalukuyan dahil sa kakulangan ng pondo. Ang sitwasyong ito ang pangunahing dahilan kung kaya aktibo ang kampanya ng kasalukuyang patnugutan na makalikom ng sapat na pondo upang masigurong
Editoryal
“[N]o true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power.” -from the first ‘official’ statement of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, dangerousminds.net, September 30, 2011
Janno Gonzales
“Ano ang babae? Paitlogan? Panganakan? Manganak na lang nang manganak at pabayaan mo siyang mamatay… Eh paano kung ayaw na niyang manganak?” -Sen. Pia Cayetano, abs-cbnnews. com, October 4, 2011
Luigi Almuena
magpapatuloy ang paglalathala ng Kulê sa susunod na tatlo hanggang apat na taon. Gaya ng paniniwalang hindi makasasapat na solusyon sa kakulangan ng pondo ng UP ang pagpapaupa ng lupa at pagtaas ng matrikula, batid ng kasalukuyang patnugutan na panandaliang sagot lamang ang paglikom ng donasyon para sa Kulê, at hinog na ang panahon upang muling ilatag sa mga mag-aaral ng UP – sa inyong aming mambabasa at tagapaglathala – na kinakailangang umentuhan ang singil para sa
publikasyon. Kambal ngang maituturing ang tadhana ng UP at ng Kulê – parehong nasa bingit ng pagkawala bunsod sa kakulangan ng pondo. At gaya ng patuloy na paggiit ng UP para sa mas mataas na subsidyo, muling susugal ang patnugutan ng Kulê sa susunod na semestre, at masikap na ipalalaganap at ipauunawa sa mga estudyante ang kahalagahan ng umento sa patuloy na pag-iral ng pahayagan.●
Philippine Collegian www.philippinecollegian.org Punong Patnugot Marjohara S. Tucay Kapatnugot Pauline Gidget R. Estella Tagapamahalang Patnugot Dianne Marah E. Sayaman Panauhing Patnugot Jayson D. Fajarada Patnugot Sa Lathalain Mila Anna Estrella S. Polinar Patnugot Sa Grapiks Nicolo Renzo T. Villarete, Chris Martin T. Imperial, Ruth Danielle R. Aliposa Tagapamahala Ng Pinansiya Richard Jacob N. Dy Pinansiya Amelyn J. Daga Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon Paul John Alix Sirkulasyon Gary Gabales, Ricky Kawat, Amelito Jaena, Glenario Ommalin Mga Katuwang Na Kawani Trinidad Gabales, Gina Villas Pamuhatan Silid 401 Bulwagang Vinzons, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Diliman, Lungsod Quezon Telefax 981-8500 lokal 4522 Email kule1112@gmail.com Website philippinecollegian.org Kasapi Solidaridad: UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers Organizations, College Editors Guild of the Philippines
“Kung wala ang Collegian, malaki ang nawala sa mga estudyante; kung wala ang mga magaaral, nawala na ang lahat sa Collegian.” - Alecks Pabico (April 19, 1967 October 7, 2009), Collegian editor in chief AY 1991-92
Even that popular Knorr Sinigang Mix is being imitated by the Thais under the Sarap brand. How can we lose competitiveness in making Sinigang Mix? –Boo Chanco, in a column reacting to the Department of Trade and Industry secretary’s excitement over buko juice, philstar.com, September 28, 2011
3 • Kulê Balita
Huwebes 6 Oktubre 2011
Solons seek to increase SUCs budget Keith Richard D. Mariano Responding to recent nationwide student-led strikes, several members of the House of Representatives (HOR) submitted various proposed amendments to House Bill No. (HB) 5023 or the General Appropriations Bill of 2012, which seek to increase the allocation for 112 state universities and colleges (SUCs) next year. On September 16, the HOR passed HB 5023 on second reading without amending the P1.816-trillion national budget prepared by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Under the House Rules, any amendment to a bill should have already been entered during the second reading. However, the House agreed to create an ad hoc committee that will look into the amendment proposed by members of HOR before the appropriations bill is passed in the lower chamber in the third and final reading. For 2012, DBM proposed a P21.89 billion budget for SUCs, which is P142.4 billion lower than the current P22.04 billion allocation. Protesting the impending cuts in the allocation for SUCs next year, thousands of students took to the streets all over the country during a nationwide coordinated strike which concluded last September 23. The funds allotted for SUCs are “survival funds and grossly inadequate,” said Kabataan Partylist Raymond Palatino. “If we are to expand programs, hire more teachers, accept more students, we must invest,” he added.
Investing in higher education
Palatino proposed to increase
PAGDAGSA. Nagmartsa patungong Mendiola ang tinatayang 10,000 magaaral, guro at administrador ng State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) sa Maynila noong Setyembre 23 bilang pagkundena sa nakaambang pagkaltas sa badyet ng SUCs sa 2012 (kanan). Nagsagawa rin ang mga nagprotesta ng ‘mass planking’ upang ipahayag ang kanilang pagkundena sa pag-abandona umano ng administrasyong Aquino sa sektor ng edukasyon (taas). Airnel T. Abarra at Chris Martin Imperial
the budget of SUCs by P24 billion to P45.9 billion “to ensure qualitative functioning of our public higher education and to keep our universities at par with the best in the world.” Alliance of Concerned Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio proposed another P2.4 billion for SUCs to fund the creation of 8,000 new teaching items that would “significantly address the shortage of qualified regular faculty in SUCs.” On the other hand, Cagayan de Oro City Representative Rufus Rodriguez wanted P403 million of
the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund (MPBF) or the budget for unfilled positions be given back to the control of SUCs. In previous years, the budget for SUCs includes funds for unfilled positions. However, for 2012, DBM segregated such funds and put it under the lump-sum MPBF “to stop abuses in the realignment of funds for unfilled positions to other uses outside the authority given by Congress.” As a compromise, HOR Minority Floor Leader Edcel Lagman proposed special provisions in monitoring the
use of the fund. “The funds shall be exclusively used to operationalize unfilled positions and shall not be realigned and utilized to augment the agency’s maintenance and other operating expenses or purchasing office equipment,” according to the provision proposed by Lagman. Meanwhile, Lagman also specifically proposed an additional P5 million allocation for UP as financial subsidy to the Philippine Collegian “that has suffered lack of funds for years already.” “We welcome the proposed
increases in the budget of SUCs. Very sound ‘yung mga proposals dahil talagang tinutukoy kung saan talaga manggagaling ang pondo at hindi lang puro ngawa,” said Student Regent Ma. Kristina Conti.
PPPs, CCT realigned
In the proposed amendments, the increase in the allocation for SUCs shall be sourced mostly from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s conditional cash transfer program (CCT) Pantawid Continued on page 5 »
Dismissed UP Cebu dean appeals to BOR Isabella Patricia Borlaza After being dismissed from service by the UP administration for charges of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty, UP Cebu College (UPCC) Dean Enrique Avila and another UPCC official filed a joint appeal to the Board of Regents (BOR) on September 26 for the reversal of the decision. UP President Alfredo Pascual approved the Administrative Disciplinary Tribunal’s (ADT) recommendation for the dismissal from service as dean and faculty of Avila, lecturer and consultant Ernesto Pineda and Budget Officer Alsidry Sharif on August 26. However, the August 26 ADT notice stated that the dismissal will only be final and executory after the lapse of a 30-day period for filing a motion for reconsideration or an appeal, based on the Uniform Rules on Administrative Cases of the Civil Service Commission. In March 17, several members of the
UPCC faculty and staff submitted an administrative complaint to Pascual for the removal from office of Avila, Pineda and Sharif, which put the three officials under a 90-day preventive suspension starting May 26. Pascual appointed Chair Rosario Rodrigo Larracas and two other members for the ADT who conducted four public hearings in Cebu and Manila within the month of July. In the August 26 ADT notice, Avila was found guilty of gross neglect for “entering into disadvantageous contracts and technical malversion of funds,” and grave misconduct for appointing an “unqualified person” for the Bids and Awards Committee. Likewise, Pineda was also charged with grave misconduct for “entering into disadvantageous contracts” and gross neglect of duty for “purchasing goods and materials without public bidding.” Meanwhile, Sharif was found guilty of grave misconduct for “endorsing a project which was clearly
out of his competence to evaluate,” and for utilizing “UPCC property for personal use”. Since Avila and Pineda filed an appeal, the two will still be under preventive suspension until the BOR releases its final decision, Student Regent Ma. Kristina Conti said. UPCC Associate Dean Richelita Galapate has been designated as officer-in-charge in Avila’s stead. Though the BOR still cannot disclose the content of the letter of appeal, “the appeal reiterates the points stated during the previous hearings,” according to Viking Logarta, Avila’s spokesperson. The appeal will be further discussed in the October 27 BOR meeting. “The BOR can only consider the facts and evidence already presented before and cannot entertain new evidence, information, or fact unless it is very relevant,” said Student Regent Kristina Conti.
Hasty resolution?
In an interview with a local
newspaper in Cebu released on October 2, Avila disclosed that one of the questions raised in his appeal was the “indecent haste” in which the UP president approved the ADT’s recommendation for his dismissal. “There is a need to define ‘indecent haste’,” said Pascual. “For the record, the whole process of [the] investigation of this case took more than five months. By the time the ADT submitted its report and recommendation to my office on August 26, there were much less number of charges to evaluate and I was already familiar with the issues of the case,” Pascual explained. Meanwhile three former UP Presidents, Emerlinda Roman, Francis Nemenzo and Jose Abueva, wrote a letter to the BOR expressing their “concern” over the issue and asking for a cautious review of the case for “it involves a long serving UP academic who was appointed to three successive terms as dean.” Nemenzo appointed Avila in
his first term as dean while Roman appointed him to his second and third term. In the letter, the three former UP presidents explained that in the years that they worked with Avila, they found him to be “an able administrator who succeeded in moving forward many initiatives.” The three former presidents also clarified in the letter that they were “not privy to the details of the charges filed against Avila” but they were concerned that “a mishandling of the case could expose the UP president and the [BOR] to lawsuits which could seriously damage the image of the university as a paragon of reason, justice and fairness.” “The matter is already in the proper administrative tribunals, and specifically, within the jurisdiction of the BOR. If not carefully worded and routed, letters in support of or against the appellant, could constitute illegal politicking,” said Conti. ●
4 • Kulê Balita
Huwebes 6 Oktubre 2011
UP LADY JUDOKAS FINISH SECOND SPORTSCENE
Isabella Patricia Borlaza For the second time, the UP Lady Judokas finished off second place with one gold, four silver and four bronze medals in the Ladies Judo Tournament of the 74th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) held at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on October 1 and 2. In the previous season, the UP Lady Judokas suffered the same fate, with the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Lady Judokas breaking UP’s four-year hold to the championship. The tournament follows a point system of 10, 5, 2 for gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively. The UST
Lady Judokas landed at first place with 47 points, followed by the UP Lady Judokas who garnered a total of 38 points, while De La Salle University (DLSU) and University of the East trailed in third with 21 points each. In the first day of the tournament, UP raked in 16 points in the Light Weight division, bagging two silver and three bronze medals. In the Heavy Light Weight Division, UP Lady Judoka Daphne Lontajo, who was one of the two UP gold medalists last year, lost her chance to clinch another gold as UST’s Micha Billiones tackled Lontajo’s attack and swiftly pinned her down. Another gold contender in the Light Weight Division, UP’s Gianina Gonzales was also pinned down by UST’s Shallance Bello, who was named Most Valuable Player in the women’s division. In the Heavy Weight Division, after being tackled down twice, UP’s Maria Victoria Balleser pinned down UST’s
Aminah Tamano Lucman within the 25 second count, clinching a full point and the only gold for the team in the second day of the tournament. “The team’s goal was to be Champion again. I’m glad I was able to contribute to the team this year,” said Balleser, who was not able to reach the finals last year due to an injury before the tournament. “I think there was a big improvement in their performance this year. This year, almost every one of them had a chance in the finals,” said UP Lady Judokas coach Reylin San Juan. Meanwhile, in the men’s division, the UP Judokas landed at fourth place with 15 points, bagging one silver and five bronze medals. The UST Golden Judokas also dominated the men’s division with 50 points, followed by DLSU Green Judokas who scored 45 points and Ateneo De Manila University Blue Judokas with 21 points. ●
MAKING WAVES. Maroons tanker Tiara Beboney Tudio performs a breast stroke during the 4x100 relay medley of the UAAP women’s swimming competition held at TRACE Aquatics Complex at Los Banos, Laguna on September 25. Together with teammates Aphrodite Magbanlac, Antoinette Noore Aquino and Christine Grace Hipol, the Lady Tankers successfully defended the championship crown for the third consecutive year, and beat the 42-year-old record by clocking 4:42.55 minutes in the said event. Airnel T. Abarra
Current price of a can of sardines: P13-P17
Percent increase of 2012 DSWD budget from 2011 budget: 56
Budget for feeding program under the Aquino administration: none
Budget for health in 2012: P42.69 billion Budget for health in 2011: P32.427 billion Percentage increase: 31.6 Health budget per person per day: P1.33 Price of one paracetamol tablet in a Botika ng Barangay: around P1
Budget for Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) in 2012: P39.5 billion Percent of DSWD budget allotted for CCTs: 73.69 Budget for CCTs last year: P29.2 billion Percent increase of 2012 budget from current budget for CCTs: 35.27
Budget for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in 2012: P21.89 billion Budget for SUCs in 2011: P22.03 billion Original proposed budget of SUCs administrations: P62 billion Percentage of approved budget for SUCs: 35.3
Distorted priorities SUMATOTAL
The proposed 2012 national budget under scrutiny Isabella Patricia Borlaza In his 2012 national budget message, President Benigno Aquino III dubbed the proposed 2012 national budget as a “results-focused budget,” embodying the “commitment to uplift the poor from poverty through honest and effective governance.” However, the following figures reveal where his administration’s priorities really lie:
Meager subsidy
Approved national budget this year: P1.645 trillion Percent increase of 2012 national budget from the 2011 national budget: 10. 39 Estimated total population of the country, according to the National Statistics Office: 94.01 million Budget for social services in 2012, which include the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program: P573.5 billion Percentage of the 2012 proposed national budget allotted to social services: 31.7 Amount the government will spend for social services per person per day, based on the 2012 budget: P16.70
Budget for the Department of Education (DepEd) in 2012: P238.8 billion Percentage of the 2012 proposed national budget allotted to DepEd: 13.15 Government spending for basic education per student per day in real value: P24.97 Current price of one pad of ruled paper for Grade I pupils: P25 Budget for debt servicing in 2012: P367 billion Percentage of the 2012 proposed national budget allotted to debt servicing: 19.6 percent Amount the government is spending to pay for debt per person per day: P10.72 Budget for military operations in 2012: P107.9 billion Percentage of the 2012 proposed national budget allotted to military operations: 6.2 percent Budget for military operations per person per day: P3.14
Dubious increases
Budget for Department for Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) next year: P53.6 billion Budget for DSWD in 2011: P34.3 billion
Target number of CCT beneficiaries for 2012: 3 million households Number of Filipinos below the poverty threshold of P46 in 2009 according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB): 1 in 4 Maximum amount CCT beneficiaries receive per month: P1, 400 Amount needed by a family of six living in Metro Manila to survive decently per day, according to the NSCB: P917 Maximum number of years a family will be supported by CCT: 5 Number of years of primary and secondary schooling in the K+12 program: 12 Estimated population of public school enrollees for 2011: 25.81 million Population of public school enrollees for 2010: 19.32 million Estimated budget per year for K+12 implementation: P20 billion Number of Kinder enrollees for June 2011:1.9 million Ratio of Kinder students to one textbook: five to one Salary of a Teacher 1 per month: P15,645 Salary of a cadet officer per month: P21,709 Budget for feeding program under the Arroyo administration in 2010: P225 million
Amount the government will spend per public college student in 2012: P8,229.32 Amount needed by a Bracket B UP student who will enroll 18 units for one semester: more than P20,000 Average total budgetary requirements of 110 SUCs: P32 billion Average total budgetary requirements provided by the government for the last five years: P23 billion Average internal income of SUCs: P11 billion Average internal income from students: P4 billion Number of SUCs that will sustain their cuts: 50 Combined cut for 51 out of 112: P574 million Total of budget cut in Personnel Services (PS) in 58 SUCs: P403.3 million Maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) cut in 45 SUC’s: P250.9 million Allotted budget for capital outlay (CO) for new projects: none CO for the Office of the President: P150.6 million UP’s proposed budget for 2012: P17.1 billion Approved budget for UP by
the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for 2012: P5.54 billion Percent of UP’s budget proposal approved by DBM: 22 Budget for UP in 2011 under the General Appropriations Act: P5.75 billion Net decrease of government allocation for UP: P208 million Amount set aside for Philhealth from the 2012 health budget: P12.028 billion Percentage of Filipinos covered by Philhealth in 2010 according to the government: 87 percent Percentage of Filipinos covered by Philhealth in 2010 according to the joint Department of Health-Philhealth Benefit delivery review: 56 percent Number of specialty hospitals in the NCR: 12 Number of specialty hospitals in the NCR with budget cuts in the PS: 5 Total cut in PS of its five hospitals: P80.6 million Number of regional hospitals nationwide: 54 Number of regional hospitals nationwide with budget cuts in the PS: 16 Total cut in PS of 16 regional hospitals: P29.2 million Total cut for health facilities development: P2.1 billion Amount set aside from social services fund for Private Partnership Projects (PPPs) for 2012: P8 billion Amount set aside from health budget for PPPs: P3 billion Amount set aside from DOTC budget for PPPs: P8.6 billion DepEd funding for new facilities for PPPs: P17.4 billion Continued on page 11 »
5 • Kulê Balita
Huwebes 6 Oktubre 2011
PAL retrenches 2,600 workers Union continues pickets despite layoffs Keith Richard D. Mariano Over 2,600 employees of the country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) effectively lost their jobs as the airline company pushed through with its outsourcing scheme on October 1, despite series of protests staged by members of PAL Employees Association (PALEA). PAL is determined to fully implement its new employment scheme, where 2,600 employees were removed from their jobs as the airline outsourced its catering, call center and ground services to third-party service providers, said PAL President Jaime Bautista in a statement. “The time for negotiation has long passed. We have nothing more to talk about. The time for diplomacy is long over, especially after the union’s wildcat strike,” Bautista said. In the past week, PALEA members launched a series of protest actions and strikes to denounce PAL’s outsourcing plan. While other airlines cancelled flights due to Typhoon Pedring on September 27, PAL cancelled all scheduled flights of more than 14,000 passengers when members of PALEA suddenly stopped working at 9am in the midst of the airline operations.
Solons seek Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Aquino administration’s economic policy of Private- Public Partnerships (PPPs). In Palatino’s proposal, for instance, P14.86 billion from the CCT will be realigned to fund the proposed increase in the budget of SUCs. Palatino criticized the CCT as a dole out. “Hindi kasi quantified yung benepsiyong nakukuha sa CCT. For every peso, paano ba naangat ang kabuhayan ng mga tao? Samantalang sa SUCs, you get output in every peso you invest—you produce professionals,” said Conti. Meanwhile, Lagman and Tinio proposed the realignment of funds allocated to PublicPrivate partnerships (PPPs) in the infrastructure ventures of the government. “Using the PPP scheme will cost the taxpayers more compared to other options available to government like including direct borrowing or by accessing foreign loans at concessional rates. We hope that the Aquino administration will seriously consider these options instead of
HIGHWAY ROBBERY. A highway officer guides traffic through the toll gates of South Luzon Expressway. Last October 1, the Aquino administration finally imposed a 12% value-added tax (VAT) on toll fees amid various protests. Militant groups called on the government to cancel the VAT on toll fees as this would potentially lead to an increase in the price of basic commodities. Chris Martin Imperial Wearing black armbands and ribbons, more than 400 PALEA members also marched from Our Lady of the Airways Parish to the airline’s In-flight Center in Pasay City to mark their last day at work on September 30. As of press time, the protesters are still holding their picket line in front of the center. “Sa araw na ito ang kamatayan naming mga manggagawa ng PAL pero hindi dito magtatapos ang laban naming laban sa kontraktwalisasyon. Sa halip, mas paiigtingin pa natin ang
« from page 3 PPPs,” said Tinio. The House ad hoc committee on the proposed amendments is set to deliberate which proposals will be included in the final version of HB 5023 within this week. The House will then convene on October 12 to pass the appropriations bill on third reading.
Senate deliberations begin
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Finance has also began deliberations in the proposed 2012 national budget. The UP administration will strengthen its lobbying efforts, this time, at the Senate for higher state subsidy to UP and other SUCs, said Conti. During the hearing of the SUCs budget yesterday, Senators Loren Legarda, Ramon Revilla, Koko Pimentel and Edgardo Angara expressed support to an increased budget for SUCs. “Ang hinihingi lang [ng mga Senador] mula sa ating mga estudyante ay isang malinaw na pagtindig laban sa patuloy na abandonment ng gobyerno sa edukasyon,” said Conti. –with reports from Axl Ross Tumanut ●
pagtutol sa mga mapagsamantalang polisiyang pangmanggagawa,” said PALEA President Gerry Rivera.
Gov’t-backed spin-off
The PAL management announced the outsourcing scheme on catering, call center and ground services on April 28, 2010 as a cost-cutting measure following a reported $301.4-million income loss for 2009. In opposition to the new employment scheme, PALEA issued three notices of strike in 2010. The
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) intervened in the labor dispute to prevent the said strikes. However, DOLE ruled twice in favor of the outsourcing program in June and then in October last year, declaring it was a “valid exercise of management prerogative”. PALEA had been proposing a collective bargain agreement with the PAL management since the airline laid out its outsourcing plan in 2010. The two parties, however, failed to reach an agreement. With the breakdown of talks between the union and the PAL management, the Office of the President (OP) also intervened in the labor dispute. However, the OP also upheld the DOLE ruling twice on March 25 and on August 17. “The severance of employment of rank-and-file employees to be affected by the outsourcing of services was valid, and PAL could not be held liable for unfair labor practice for pursuing a legitimate exercise of management prerogative,” according to the OP. PALEA appealed Malacañang’s decision to the Court of Appeals this August. “PALEA maintains its position that management cannot prematurely implement the decision of the OP. If PAL management pushes through with the mass layoffs, we will construe that as defiance to judicial process,” said Rivera. “The law is on our side. We’re implementing the outsourcing
program not on mere whim or caprice but on the basis of legal and valid orders from the [DOLE] and the [OP],” said Bautista. PAL would only suspend the implementation of the spin-off upon the order of the court, he added.
‘Unfair labor practice’
In the decision of the OP, the third-party service providers— SkyKitchen Philippines, SPi Global and SkyLogistics Philippines—were required to absorb all PAL employees who will be retrenched due to the spin-off. However, the laid off workers would be rehired as contractual workers under the third-party service providers. The PAL employees would really be disadvantaged under the outsourcing plan as they would lose benefits enjoyed by regular workers such as pension, health care benefits and their right to join unions, said Rivera. Emanuel Espinola, who worked for PAL as a cargo representative for 23 years, was one of the workers laid off due to the spin-off. At the age of 52, Espinola said he is pessimistic that he would be able to get another job. “Sino pa bang tatanggap sa amin sa trabaho sa edad naming ito? Para kaming basahan na matapos gamitin ay bastabasta na lang itatapon,” he added. “The PAL management violated labor laws by laying-off 2,600 workers to cut labor costs and gain superprofits,” said Anakpawis Partylist Executive Vice President Joel Maglunsod. Continued on page 11 »
BOR appoints 3 new chancies Marjohara Tucay The Board of Regents (BOR) has selected three incumbent academic heads as new chancellors for UP units in Los Baños (UPLB), Manila (UPM) and Visayas (UPV). During the September 29 BOR meeting, seven out of the 11 regents voted for incumbent Institute of Ophthalmology Director Manuel Agulto as the new UPM chancellor and current UPV College of Arts and Sciences Dean Rommel Espinosa as next chancellor for Visayas. Meanwhile, six out of 11 regents voted incumbent College of Forestry and Natural Resources Dean Rex Victor Cruz as the next UPLB chancellor. Agulto, Espinosa and Cruz will serve as chancellors for three years, starting November 1.
New administrators
In his vision paper, Agulto explained that he intends UPM to be a “nationally and internationally recognized “center of excellence in research, health and social
sciences education. “Agulto is keen on revisiting the University Physicians’ Medical Center (UPMC), the private clinics set up in the former Faculty Medical Arts Building. He is bothered by the competition that the UPMC has stirred within the Taft community, with the pharmacies and even the [Philippine General Hospital] itself,” said Student Regent Ma. Kristina Conti. Meanwhile, Espinosa explained in his vision paper that he will be implementing a program of action that “although not very original…will serve as a concrete roadmap for the next three years.” The said program of action includes administering several income-generating projects in UPV, including the Diwata Shore Project and the Love Nature! Park. “Espinosa enjoys the support of the students because of his clear stand on greater state subsidy for UP, and for his participative approach to governance,” Conti said.
‘Administration-backed’
While the appointment of Agulto and Espinosa gained positive
response in the UP community, the appointment of Cruz, who is an incumbent dean in UPLB, has been met with skepticism by students of the said constituent unit. Dozens of UPLB students went all the way to UP Diliman for the chancellor selection on September 29 to express concern over the Cruz’s candidacy, explaining that the current UPLB administration under Chancellor Luis Velasco may be backing his bid for chancellorship. There were even “confirmed reports” that the incumbent UPLB administration lighted fireworks in the campus once news of Cruz’s appointment has been announced, said Conti. “[Cruz] must be able to change the atmosphere in Los Baños from paranoia, fear, and autocracy towards openness, consultation and democracy. For the past two terms, the students have decried the administration’s excessive focus on rules, intervention in activities, and high-handed approach to discipline,” Conti added. ●
8 • Kulê Lathalain
Huwebes 6 Oktubre 2011
s n o i t c i d a r t n o c t n e r e Inh Marc Cayabyab
For over four decades, the Philippines has been the battleground for the ongoing conflict between the government and armed rebels of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). This year, the Aquino administration and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) have opened another round of peace talks, with the aim of ending the longest-running insurgency in the world. This time around, negotiations started on February 2011, in the wake of a weeklong ceasefire between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the CPP’s armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA). Peace talks had been stalled since 2004, amidst a global US-led “war on terror,” when then-President Gloria Arroyo included the CPP-NPA and its legal front, the NDFP, in a list of terrorist organizations. According to the phasing of the current peace talks, the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the NDFP were set to reach a compromise on social and economic reforms (SER) this September. By February 2012, there should have been a settlement regarding political and constitutional reforms; and by June 2012, an end to hostilities. However, as of October, the SER discussions have not even begun. The delays have been primarily caused by the NDFP’s demand for the release of political prisoners, according to Ednar
Artwork by Nico Villarete Page design by Roanne Descallar
Dayanghirang, chairperson of the GPH Reciprocal Committee on SER. “Apparently, mas importante sa kanila ang prisoner release than the agreement on SER, the meat of the solution to this 40year old war,” Dayanghirang says. The NDFP explains, however, that the release of political prisoners is not merely an incidental demand. It is a crucial first step, a “confidencebuilding measure that would create a favorable climate for peace negotiations,” as stipulated in the Hague Joint Declaration signed in 1992, which states that the peace talks aims to attain just and lasting peace and the cessation of hostilities in the country. “If the GPH cannot keep its word on the relatively simple release of political prisoners, how can anyone expect it to keep its word on more comprehensive and far-reaching agreements such as SER?” notes Rey Casambre of the Philippine Peace Center. Delaying tactics So far, the GPH has released four of the 17 political prisoners who are NDFP negotiators, consultants and personnel. However, Tirso Alcantara and Alan Jazmines – both arrested last January, on the eve of the peace talks, for trumped-up charges of murder and rebellion – remain in prison. Alcantara was an NDFP consultant while Jazmines is a member of the NDFP Reciprocal Working Committee on SER. They should have been protected by the Joint Agreement on
Immunity and Safety Guarantees (JASIG), says NDFP chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni. The JASIG provides immunity from surveillance, harassment, search, arrest, detention, prosecution and interrogation for all NDFP and GPH negotiating panel members. Casambre also cites the Oslo Joint Statement signed in 2004, which states that “the Parties agree that the release of prisoners is a continuing confidence-building measure motivated by a mutual desire to improve the atmosphere for peace negotiations.” Yet GPH chief negotiator Alex Padilla claims that the agreement is “inoperative” in the call for the release. Dayanghirang adds that the NDFP had not presented a “JASIG list” which would serve as evidence that these consultants-turned-political prisoners were in fact protected by JASIG. The GPH’s refusal to adhere to the JASIG and Oslo Statement by throwing up technicalities could only serve as a blot on the integrity of the government, says Casambre. After all, the release of political prisoners is not simply a precondition for the peace talks, it is a longstanding obligation of the government, Jalandoni adds.
Root problems However, far beyond discussions of preconditions, settings and schedules, the core of any serious consideration of the peace talks is the necessity to address the root causes of poverty. The peace talks must
then be placed in the context of societal ills in the country caused by the concentration of land and economic power in the country’s ruling elite, says IBON Foundation research head Sonny Africa. The GPH and CPP, both assured equal status as separate “governments” under the Hague Declaration, have differing views on the root causes of poverty. The CPP maintains that genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization are the key to addressing the grim socioeconomic conditions in the Philippines. This would entail a redistribution of land, reclamation of national patrimony over the country’s resources, and setting up national industries. Meanwhile, the GPH proposed asset reform and industrial policy as alternative solutions, according to the GPH’s draft on SER. Asset reform means reforms in the areas of agriculture, fishery, forestry and mountains. Industrial policy, on the other hand, refers to private ownership of industries with minimal government regulation, explains Dayanghirang. The GPH has also cited environmental degradation as a root cause of poverty, leading to unemployment and landlessness, among others. However, environmental degradation merely aggravates existing conditions; it is not itself a primary cause of poverty, according to Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment.
Radical alternative Evidently, there is an irreconcilable difference in ideology between the two contending parties, leading various stakeholders to raise doubts regarding the possibility of the success of peace talks. The problem with the GPH “solution” is that it merely attempts to resolve poverty using cosmetic solutions without attending to its real causes, says Africa. “The problem rather lies in the grossly inequitable control of the economy, in the very undemocratic political system, and in the persistent domination of foreign powers over national economic and political life,” he explains. Still, despite their differences, it remains imperative that NDFP and GPH should settle their disputes and agree on certain points, not the least of which is ending the climate of excessive human rights violations concealed behind the mask of “anti-insurgency operations,” says Casambre. In the end, peace talks can only do so much in resolving the 40-year old war in the country. The conditions that drove a significant percentage of the population to take up arms against a system which condemned the majority to languish in poverty remain. Two sides, two contending interests: peace talks are a symptom of the state of the conflict, not the final path to resolution. If the peace talks now are any indication, the Philippines still has a long way to go. ●
9 • Kulê Lathalain
Huwebes 6 Oktubre 2011
JC Waladi II The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has found an apt metaphor for their position and that of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) in their ongoing peace negotiations: heaven and earth. The metaphor implies that the two would never meet on the same plane, a fair observation of the outcome of the GPH-MILF peace talks that informally began 14 years ago. And, when the MILF rejected the peace proposal of GPH last August 23, prospects for progress in the peace talks have seemingly grown dimmer. The GPH showed a 3-for-1 proposal to the MILF, one which “stands for three components for one single solution to the problem of Bangsamoro,” according to a statement by GPH Peace Panel Chair Marvic Leonen. The three components of the proposal include massive economic development, political settlement with MILF and cultural-historical acknowledgement. “It seeks not only to provide a just and lasting peace to the troubled south but more so to improve and uplift the lives of the people who have long suffered from the brutality of decades-long armed conflict,” adds Leonen. In essence, the GPH pushes for reforms in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The MILF, however, has another plan in mind. “Bangsamoro is now fighting for real autonomy through a
substate,” asserts MILF negotiator Abdulla Camlian. MILF claims that Moros will be able to control all aspects of governance with a substate, except for security, foreign affairs, currency and coinage, and postal services. Unlike the ARMM, a substate would enjoy less government intervention in terms of political, internal defense and fiscal autonomy aspects. The substate would also entail that the state would have two senate seats. Dead-end GPH, however, does not approve of a substate. “Pursuing a substate is difficult since it requires constitutional change and national plebiscite,” says GRP Peace Panelist Prof. Miriam Colonel Ferrer. Improving the current ARMM law and the creation of a new Organic Act “that will define the scope and limitations of the Moros” is a more feasible recourse, adds Ferrer. This is not the first time GPH disagreed with a militant Islamic Group. During the early days of the MILF, when it was still part of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), it called for separation wherein a state from the current Bangsamoro region which is composed of North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Cotabato City, and Palawan. The Ferdinand Marcos administration did not yield to the demand, and instead proposed the insitution of an
No mid dle gro und
autonomous region. The MNLF eventually relented to the proposal of the GPH. After the 1974 Organization of the Islamic Conference, the MNLF downgraded its demand to a Philippine substate exclusive to Moros, where a “residual and shared” power of administration would be enjoyed by the GPH and then-MNLF. Two years later, GPH offered to create the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)—and surprisingly, MNLF conceded. This concession was not accepted by some members of MNLF, who later split from the group and formed the MILF. The MILF would continue the armed resistance against GPH, giving rise to the formal launch of the GPHMILF peace talks in 1999. Throughout the course of the peace talks, MILF repeatedly raised the issue on ancestral domain.This issue was almost resolved when in 2008, a Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the Arroyo administraton and the MILF was proposed. The MOA-AD sought to expand the current area of ARMM and establish the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity. These provisions, however, almost equated to the creation of a sovereign state, again creating problems due to its unconstitutionality and the possibility of Charter Change upon honoring it.
Third party Apart from its unconstitutionality, the 2008 MOA-AD did not prosper due to allegations of US intervention. For instance, socioeconomic projects in Mindanao will be funded by the World Bank and the US Agency for International Development under the MOA-AD. Last August, online whistleblower Wikileaks released Manila cablegates verifying US participation in the formulation of the MOA-AD. Such US intervention in the country’s affairs presents a disturbing pattern, says former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo. “The US apparently believes that it can do what it wants with Mindanao’s natural resources by dealing with the MILF in the Bangsamoro rather than with the national government,” adds Ocampo. The MILF did not deny it requested the US to intervene in the MOA-AD. For them, US political influence is a potent factor that could substantially grant their aspiration for a substate. “Kahit na anong bansa, US man ‘yan o hindi, nakikipag -ugnayan kami para lang makamit ang hinihingi naming substate,” says Camlian. This view fails to account the historical and political context of the Moro’s struggle for their right to ancestral domain and selfdetermination. The oppression of Moros can be traced back to the colonization of the Philippines by Spain, and later, the US. In fact, in every instance of US
intervention in the country’s affairs, the superpower has sought to advance its own interests such as exploiting natural resources like mineral and oil reserves in the region, according to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, an umbrella organization of progressive groups. Despite the Moros’ continued resistance against colonizers, their interests were perpetually neglected by the national government. The ARMM remains to be one of the most highly impoverished regions, recording a 6.3 percent unemployment rate in 2009. The area is also largely dominated by traditional elite clans and politicians that keep the people from reaping economic gains from the natural riches of Mindanao. The Bangsamoro conflict is not merely a matter of disagreements between two contending parties. It was borne out of systemic socioeconomic crises, compounded by decades of neglect from the GPH, and the situation continues to deteriorate today. Amidst this muddled state of affairs, the peace talks could not be expected to resolve the dispute, more so if foreign powers intervene. Indeed, only struggle for liberation from these oppressive conditions will decide the fate of the Bangsamoro people. ●
10 • Kulê Opinyon
Huwebes 6 Oktubre 2011
ELLA SOLOMON
NEWSCAN
A series of drills When the New People’s Army (NPA) decided to raid the three mining sites in Surigao del Norte, the media, it seems, only saw the “burned down 10 dump trucks, the eight backhoes and a guest house,” as the Inquirer had reported. The news reported the story of the three security guards who died in the said raids, and the three mining corporations: Taganito Mining Corporation, Taganito HPAL Nickel Corp. and the Platinum Group Metals Corp. who were allegedly coerced by the NPA to pay revolutionary taxes. In mining stories told by the mainstream media, the spotlight appears to be focused on how the NPA has harassed the mining company, how the group has threatened officials of the company to pay revolutionary taxes, sometimes tagging the act as extortion. What is perhaps missing from this usual narrative of extortion and “oppression” is the rationale, the main reason why the NPA does it in the first place. Rebels will not emerge if there is nothing to rebel against in the first place. For, even if the mining companies are portrayed as victims in this story,
reality tells us that they are in fact hardly so. Beyond the rubble that was left of that guest house, therein lie the remains of what once was perhaps a thriving community, the displacement of which the mainstream media failed to report. Often, a mining venture involves the displacement of an indigenous people’s community from the mountain or area they have been living in for decades. Whether they were threatened, abused or simply driven away, the fact that the mining venture has disrupted and ruined lives cannot be denied. The mountains, after all, not only provide a place to live in for them—it is also their source of food, of livelihood. The life of the mountain and that of the community of the indigenous peoples have become inextricably intertwined. To take the mountain away from them is almost like depriving them of the right to life. Still, even if the community chooses to resist displacement, evading the threats of the mining company to leave the area, the members would soon realize that they might have to give in eventually. They
The fact that the mining venture has disrupted and ruined lives cannot be denied
would find that mining has changed the mountain. Rivers are polluted as wastes from mining are mixed with the waters of the rivers. The soil is eroded as mining companies drill through the mountain. Trees are cut down in order to make way for the venture. Yet, the IP communities are not the only victims. As the resources of our mountains are constantly depleted to provide metal, not to the Philippines, but to other countries, all Filipinos in turn have become victims. The three mining companies raided, for instance, export the minerals they obtain to China, Japan and Australia. Minerals are provided to other countries while none is left for us to develop our own industries. In the current scheme of things, we cannot even reap the “benefits” of this destructive extraction of our natural resources. Indeed, it is these aspects of the mining story, these harsh, unacceptable effects which are often overlooked in reports. And, it is for these effects that immediate actions then become necessary. While the NPA has resorted to raiding the mining companies, the time has come for the government to also protect what is rightfully ours.
GUILLER LUNA
Antala at kaligta ”That was the year, my twentyeighth, when I was discovering that not all of the promises would be kept, that some things are in fact irrevocable and that it had counted after all, every evasion and every procrastination, every mistake, every word, all of it.” – Joan Didion Kung wala nang magaganap na aberya, magkakaroon na ako sa wakas ng diploma matapos ang higit na isang dekada. Hindi ko masabing hindi ko pinagsisihan ang matagal na pagka-antala ng pagtatapos ko sa kolehiyo. Pinanghihinayangan ko ang mga oportunidad na napakawalan, mga pagkakataong nasayang at mga pangarap na naisantabi. Pero hindi ko rin naman lubos na masabi na napunta sa wala ang limang taong ginugol ko sa labas ng unibersidad. Nais kong paniwalaan na naging makabuluhan naman ang naging dahilan ng aking mga pagka-antala. Bunsod ng pangangailangang pinansyal ng pamilya, ipinagpaliban ko muna ang tinatapos na thesis para magtrabaho noong 2006. Nagtrabaho ako bilang website content writer sa isang call center. Isang taon lang ako nagtrabaho doon dahil hindi kinaya ng katawan ko ang night shift. Sa maikling
panahon na iyon, natutunan ko kahit papano ang sinasabi nilang halaga ng paggawa at kung paanong naabuso at napagsasamantalahan kahit na iyong mga nakapag-aral sa UP. Mas naging fulfilling para sa akin ang sumunod kong trabaho bilang staff ng isang non-government organization (NGO) na tumutulong sa mga pangmasang organisasyon sa mga komunidad para paunlarin ang kanilang agrikultura at iangat ang sitwasyon ng kalusugan. Maraming bagay na hindi ko natutunan sa unibersidad at sa mga librong nabasa ko ay nakita ko sa mga pinakaliblib na sitio at pinakanagdarahop na komunidad. Hindi ko noon lubos mawari kung bakit pinili ng mga taong tinutulungan ng NGO na tumira sa mga pagkalayulayong lugar na madalas pa ngang hindi inaabot maging ng signal ng cellphone. Hindi naglaon, unti-unti ko ring naintindihan na hindi nila ito kusang pinili, na itinaboy sila sa kabundukan ng kawalan ng lupang masasaka at pagkakabuhayan. Bagamat salat sa pormal na edukasyon, malay sila sa mga pagkukulang ng gobyerno kung kaya hindi nila lubos na iniaasa sa mga NGO ang pagtulong sa kanila. Sa halip,
Mas madaling umusad at makapagpatuloy nang walang nililingon at pinanghihinayangan
ginagamit lamang nila ang suportang ibibigay ng mga NGO para palakasin ang kanilang organisasyon na siyang sandigan nila sa pagsusulong ng kanilang interes at karapatan. Sa kabila ng kabuluhang nakita ko sa huli kong trabaho, napagpasyahan kong bumalik sa pag-aaral. Gayong naniniwala ako na hindi sukatan ng maaari kong magawa para sa sarili at sa bayan ang pagkakaroon ng degree, ang pagtatapos ko sa kolehiyo ay tila kabanata ng isang kwentong gusto kong sarhan. Ayaw kong dumating ang panahong sisisihin ko ang aking sarili at ituturing kong maling desisyon ang aking pagaaktibista. Mas madaling umusad at makapagpatuloy nang walang nililingon at pinanghihinayangan. Gayunman, ito ay personal na isyu ko lamang. Nananatili ang aking respeto at paghanga sa mga taong hindi tiningnang balakid ang kawalan ng degree para patuloy na magsilbi sa bayan at mag-ambag sa pagbabago ng lipunan. Sa pagbabalik ko sa “real world,” batid kong hindi lisensya o answer key ang diploma para solusyonan ang mga problemang ihaharap sa akin ng mundo. ●
Law Aptitude Examination for AY 12-13 When: Sunday, 22 January 2012, 7:30 A.M. Test center is at U.P. Diliman only. Last day of filing is on 13 January 2012 (without fine) and 16 January 2012 (with fine). Application forms, scholarships, testing fees, and other information are available at the Office of the College Secretary, 1st Floor, Malcolm Hall, U.P. College of Law, Diliman, Quezon City or at http://law.upd.edu.ph.
Tune in to DZUP 1602 “Matinong Usapan para sa Maunlad na Bayan. DZUP 1602, Kasali ka!” This is the statement that makes DZUP 1602 a cut above the rest. In just over a year of a revitalized DZUP, the UP Diliman’s official AM radio station has conquered new heights and strengthened its programming. This year, the Catholic Mass Media Awards has chosen three programs of DZUP as among the finalists in the best radio program category: Tunog at Tinig of the College of Music, Ekonomiyang Pantahanan of the College of Home Economics and That’s Entreptainment of the UP Institute of Small Scale Industries are lined up among the best in Entertainment, Public Service, Business News Feature programs in Metro Manila respectively. Continue to tune in to DZUP 1602 Monday to Friday from 10AM to 8PM.
Les Magiciens du Theatre For the benefit of Holy Trinity Home for Children (HTHC), our Theater 100 class presents The Wiz Musical on October 4, 2011, Tuesday, 5:00-6:00pm at the Aldaba Hall, UP Diliman. Free Admission, just bring donations (cash/ in kind) for the children of HTHC. For reservations, contact 09154802442.
11 • Kulê Opinyon PAL retrenches 2,600 workers « from page 5 The implementing rules on Section 6 (a), Article 106 of the Labor Code of the Philippines prohibit “contracting out of a job, work or service when not done in good faith and not justified by the exigencies of the business and the same results in the termination of regular employees and reduction of work hours or reduction or splitting of the bargaining unit.” The protest action staged by PALEA members was “just and legitimate” because the workers were only defending their right to employment, added Maglunsod.
Economic sabotage?
For President Benigno Aquino III, however, the work stoppage by PALEA members was an “economic sabotage” as PAL reported an income loss of “millions of dollars” from the cancellation of flights of more than 14,000 PAL passengers on September 27 alone. The picket held in front of PAL’s In-flight Center the following days also caused “further flight delays and compounded the airline’s efforts to normalize operations after [the] wildcat strike,” added the PAL management. While in his state visit to Japan, Aquino ordered his administration’s legal team to look into possible violations on the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008 committed by the protesters. “If anybody is guilty of economic sabotage in this issue, it is Lucio Tan and the president himself. Tan is attacking the job security of all workers in the country and the president is legitimizing the repression of workers fighting for their rights,” said labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno Chairperson Elmer Labog in a statement. ●
Huwebes Oktubre 6 2011
Distorted priorities « from page4 Amount set aside from DepEd budget for PPPs: P5 billion
TEXTBACK
EKSENANG PEYUPS
Large discretionary funds
Presidential Communications Office fund for 2012: P35.5 million Budget allotment for Apayao State College for 2012: P36.8 million Office of the President’s intelligence funds for 2012: P666 million Number of classrooms that can be built using the said intelligence fund: more than 2,600 Contingent Funds of 2012 or funds administered by the Office of the President used exclusively to fund the requirements of new and/urgent projects and activities: P1 billion Calamity Funds of 2012 for typhoons and other calamities: P7.5 billion Lawmakers Priority Development Assistance Funds of 2012 more known as the pork barrel or Malacanang’s dole-out to lawmakers: P24.89 billion Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) for 2012: P101.9 billion Unprogrammed funds for 2012: P161.69 billion Total amount needed by SUCs to make public tertiary education free, based on DBM’s 2012 Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing: only P8.8 billion ● Sources: Department of Budget and Management, IBON Foundation, National Statistics Office, National Statistical Coordination Board, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education, Coalition for Health Budget Increase, College Editors Guild of the Philippines, Center for Trade and Union and Human Rights, Alliance of Health Workers, worldbank.org, POEA, unicef.com, bulatlat. com, inquirer.net, gmanews.tv, mb.com.ph
Ano ang unforgettable experience mo sa strike ngayong taon?
‘Yung performances nung camp-out (sept. 22). Lalo na ‘yung mga kanta tungkol sa desaparecidos, at ‘yung para sa mga umiibig na walang pera. Astig, litaw na litaw ang UP-flavor. :) 10-52364 unforgettable experience ko ay first time kong tumulong sa prod work. (at least, may naiambag ako unlike dati, napakaburgis ko mag-isip) haha drowingko yung may muka ni noynoy tapos may red na “up” as in “united people against budget cut” woohoo! sa mga ateng dyan: di naman masamang tumulong! mas masama kung di na tayo makapag-aral! Freshie kc aq so new lng 2 me ang mkitang s gitna ng kinakaharap n krisis ay kinoconvey ng mga UP Strikers s kantahan at sarcastic skits ang kanilang convictions. good job!well-rounded tlga ang mga Iskolar! :D -1101517 BA POLSCi.:”> proud nga pla aq ky SIR OPINALDO,UP PEP swagger yan! Di ko malilimutan itong strike na ito. Unang beses ako sumali. Pero nitong pangatlong araw, habang nagtetext ako sa inyo, hindi ako sumama sa martsa sa mendiola. Ang strike na ito ang nagpapatunay na tayong mga kabataan ay magagawa upang wakasan ang pagyurak ng mga naghaharing uri sa ating lipunan. Goodluck sa mga nagstrike, matamo sana natin ang ating mga inaasam, 11-21294 mrkgt Unforgettable moment: sumama ako sa strike para makita si joanna cristina benedito balasbas, kaso di ko xa nkita..huhu nam. Bs ge_uten 15521.. 1st tym ko sumali sa strike(though d p ako ready 4 mendiola) pro sobrng ovrwhelmng ang pkrmdm n mkta sa march ang mga d inaasahang tao (e.g. Mga burgis) 0906155 un4gettable experience q? d q tlaga alam n mgrered ung mga mgsstrike. nkared aq that day, tp0s papunta n qng CAL ng ayain aq ng isa pang nkapula. haha. tawa aq ng tawa. :3 -unpredictable. 11-16398
Ano ang gusto mong gawing theme ng UP Pep Squad sa susunod na Cheerdance Competition?
Taong grasa theme JOKE, o kaya marvel heroes 08-561920 grabe! ang cool lang ng pep! whatever theme, surprise everyone nalang! bagay sa kanila any theme e! congratulations ulit pep! wuuhhoo! 09-23492 para sa susunod na cdc, subukan nila mag kpop! :) pati outfit dapat ah, kung pwede looks nadin. haha! ung boys, kung kayang gayahin ang pagmumukha ni kim jae joong, please do. wahaha! (0926050, bana)
Gusto kong theme po sna ay horror para matakot nang lumaban ung iba. XD Yung may mga zombie, witches,and everything. Cguro magiging unique yon. (hi to all stat block O2!) From 2011-16714 Kahit anong theme naman ng UP Pep, sigurado, maganda eh. Ang gusto ko lang mangyari ay bumalik sila sa Tagalog na cheer. Mas maangas kasi pakinggan. 10-11610, BSEcon. Ang gusto kong bagong theme ng UP Pep Squad for ‘12 CDC ay Brazilian: Capoeira, samba and Carnival! -201103686 Theme ng pep squad next year? Nude! Para in honor of oble. :> at para na rin sa mga umaasang makita ang abs ng gwapong pep squad boys! - 11.11631 Nxt year,pwdng rockstar theme.lging misunderstood pero daring parin.naicp ko kung kaya ba mgpull-off ng pyramid na may nkaupsidedown split sa taas? :p 0906155 sana mag-egyptian sila a la cleopatra. I kn0w, departure na naman fr0m pin0y values, but I wud lyk to see them do justice to her culture. After all, b0th ancient egypt and UP Pep are epit0mes of greatness. Hihi Ü 2010.68904 Sana next year Angry Birds naman ang theme ng Pep. Tapos ang finale, papakita ang Angry Bird ni Oble! Haha. Congrats sa UP PEP! Good luck sa HK! :3 07-08244 CoE I want to see the UP PEP Squad to perform with their “under the sea”-inspired routine. :-D congrats! 0911929 Ang gusto kong gawing susunod na tema ng UP Pep ay BLACK SWAN o kaya GEISHA..Ansabe ngpakpakatngpayongepek?-201078910 anung theme next year ng UP PEP? DI PWEDENG SABIHIN!?!? >:D chan2011-78240
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delfin mercado! di ka masyadong emo on this week’s kule! haha wala lang! lagi kong binabasa column mo! naks :) binabati si bea tan :) 09-23492 the best ang komiks this week! nagenjoy kami bi bea tan! wahaha! sana ganyan every week 0923492, bs MatE nalungkot ako dun sa feature tungkol sa UPIS. i also came from a UP-administered high school. nung pagraduate na ako, issue ang pagtanggal samen sa UP system. maswerte pa rin ang UPIS kasi nasa loob pa rin sila ng UP. eh kami, one jeep away na nun, at pwedeng-pwede kaming i-disown anytime. I <3 UP Rural High School! 08.37369, matE hi kule.nice cover page.simpleng malupet.2 colors lang pero mlakas dating.tsunami equals strike back.nice -201079306 Ansakit sa panga ng Eksenang Peyups. Ü 2010.68904 Ang asteeg nang komiks nyo! Gusto ko tuloy makita si UPCAT. Ok nang wag si BUDGET CAT. Hahaha. Bat pala alerto si upcat tuwing nandto sya sa FA? Hmm.. 11-44898
Deh sem-ender edishun!
In fair mga teh! This week was so tiring as in haggardo versoza to dah max ang mga pangyayari! After ng strike last week eh may after MATH pa akesh this week! Nakakawarla na nang fatale ang acads and exams na itey! But wait. Mas warla ang mga nasagap kong kababalaghan this week. Ang mga birds, naglipana na naman across UP, sumisirit at tumitilanding! Tight fatite Hindi nakaligtas sa mga mata ng yours truly ang isang birdie na dumapo sa men’s room ng AS. As in nanghina akesh sa nakita kong long, big and handsome na nag-spurt ng water of life. Ay! Koyah naman kasi, hindi ka magaling magtago ng hmmm. Ayan tuloy, nakahuli ako ng malaki! Sa susunod, itago mo na ‘yan, at baka ma-OASH pa ako! Char! Turn off Ay! Merong koyang na naghasik ng kanyang seduction powers sa Vinzons in the middle of the night. Etong koyang na itey ay may na-spot na isang bi-koyang na hindi niya ma-decipher ang gender. In fair, nilapitan nga ni koyang. And you know what happened? WARLA!! As in hindi na makaimik si koyang after kausapin ng klosetang boylash na nilapitan niya. Nawarla beauty niya for the first time! Haisst. Si koyang, kahit assertive at first, umurong naman… ang paninindigan. Angry bitch At ang huling hirit this semester: may prof na naghahasik like an angry bird sa UP! Laging dinadatnan ng regla si prof at nilalabasan ng… negative vibes. Ang students naman niya, takot na takot to the max! May naglupasay pa at humagulgol dahil sa bitchesang prof. My god, hindi ba pwede maging happy and gay sa mga panahong ito? Lesson Learned: wag makinig sa mga sabi-sabi tungkol sa mga pipiliing prof sa CRS. Keribels? OMG, mga teh! THIS IS IT NA! Patapos na ang mahabang sem na itey. Huwag kalimutang mahalin ang bayan, ha! Kahit sembreak na ay hindi pa rin tayo ligtas sa banta ng evil birds. See yah around, mga auntie! ●
KulĂŞ The Back Page
Dibuho ni Marianne Rios
Huwebes 6 Oktubre 2011