PUPians call for action amid power interruption

BY RIA COROCOTO

STUDENTS from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) raised their concerns to the university administration regarding the power outage in Mabini Campus on March 29, 2023.

The power interruption was due to the electricity cut because of the ongoing construction and demolition of the north wing of the main building.

It prompted PUP President Manuel Muhi to release Executive Order No. 10 Series of 2023, stating the shift in the delivery mode of learning to online classes except for Laboratory High School, College of Law, and College of Human Kinetics on April 11.

Students from provinces that are currently renting for on-site classes raised concerns because of unclear guidelines on how long the changes will take.

“Hindi lang ako ang direktang natatamaan ng power outage na ito pero alam kong marami within the campus, kung kaya’t kailangan natin na i-amplify pa yung panawagan hinggil sa paglutas sa power outage na nagaganap,” Bachelor of Arts in History student Ryan San Juan said.

“Kasalukuyan akong nagdodorm at masakit ito sa bulsa kung kaya’t malaking panghihinayang kung hindi matutuloy ang face-to-face classes at babalik na lamang sa online,” San Juan added.

The high cost of living in Manila made students spend most of their money on dorm and utility fees, which makes some of them share the rent to lessen their expenses.

“₱8,500 po ang kabuuang bayad namin sa upa. Dahil pito kami, tig-₱1,416 kami, bukod pa rito ang utilidades,” mentioned by Zion Del Rosario, a Bachelor of Arts in History student.

“Mga ₱6,500 ang natatanggap ko buwan-buwan mula sa kamag-anak ko (madalas napupunta sa bills),” Del Rosario added.

The power outage also prevented teachers from efficiently delivering their lessons and students from enjoying their learning experiences.

“Dahil hindi agad makabalik nang harapharapan ang mga pumapasok sa A. Mabini, nagdudulot ito ng malaking dagok sa mga mag-aarál pati na rin sa kaguruan, dahil hindi nila magagawang maihatid ang edukasyon nang buo,” as stated by Del Rosario.

The PUP Sentral ng Konseho ng Magaaral (PUP SKM) issued a sensing form to know the details of learners affected by the power outage that are living in any rented apartment or dorm.

The result showed that 721 students are presently staying in dormitories, with 274 saying that their rent ranges from P5,000 to P10,000, while 474 students stated that their rent costs less than P5,000.

Before the shift in learning modality, each respondent received an average of six face-to-face classes, while some learners said that they were looking forward to one to two weeks of on-site meetings every month.

On May 16, the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPPA) provided a statement indicating the restoration of electrical power and onsite classes in the Mabini Campus starting May 17.