5 minute read
UPLB students try to ‘stay afloat’ amid recent calamities and the demands of remote learning.
BY JOAQUIN GONZALEZ IV, REUBEN PIO MARTINEZ AND GABRIEL DOLOT
UPLB PERSPECTIVE STAFF WRITERS
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UPLB student leaders called for an academic strike last November 17, in an effort to hasten the UP administration’s sluggish response to consecutive typhoons that made the process of “remote learning” harder than ever.
The UPLB Council of Student Leaders (CSL), the consultative arm of the UPLB University Student Council (USC), officially declared the strike, echoing the calls of UP constituents system-wide to end the semester and pass all students. UPLB was the first campus in the UP system to declare an academic strike.
“Kung ayaw ng UP na i-end ang sem, tayo ang mag-eend ng sem natin… Hangga’t hindi nila hine-heed ang demands natin, naka-welga tayo,” UPLB USC chairperson Jainno Bongon explained.
The decision to declare a strike was made after deliberating with students from various organizations, including college student councils, organizations, party alliances, and the Perspective.
The demands for the campaign that were discussed included the immediate ending of the semester, as well as mass promotion and a no fail policy for all students. (See related story on Page 5.) The creation of bridging programs, an assessment of the current semester, the crafting of a comprehensive plan for the next semester by December this year, and the exclusion of the current semester in the limit for free tuition were also included.
The campaign also raised the option for students who filed for leave of absence to retract their application and instead become part of the mass promotion. UPLB USC said that it will soon be giving further clarifications on the campaign.
As a member of the UPLB faculty present in the meeting, Prof. Mariyel Liwanag provided her suggestions for the strike and encouraged unity among students and teachers, who were also accounted for in the strike. “Kausapin ang buong klase. Magkaroon ng kaisahan. Alamin ang sitwasyon ng bawat isa sa klase,” Liwanag said.
She encouraged students to discuss their situations with their faculty-in-charge and explain why there is an ongoing call for a strike.
Support for strike growing As of press time, more than 2,500 students have already signed an online petition to end the semester now. But some professors already acted on their own.
“Matalas, nakaugat sa lupa, at malinaw ang artikulasyon – TAPUSIN NA ANG SEMESTRE,” Department of Humanities’ (DHum) Dr. Emmanuel Dumlao wrote to his WIKA 1 class, one of those professors from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) to end the semester. Another CAS professor, Jethro Pugal was also one of the first to do so, even before the declaration of the strike.
Pugal highlighted how students have to focus on matters outside of the class given that the circumstances are “not normal.” For the remaining sessions in his ETHICS 1 and
GIO SABADO, UPLB STUDENT AFFECTED BY FLOODING IN CAGAYAN
The house of Leo Verdad, a student from the College of Development Communication, was reduced to rubbles during the onslaught of ‘Ulysses’.
Philosophy of Language classes, Pugal no longer required further assessments and had moved existing deadlines.
He also opted to have remaining sessions be optional (and will be recorded and uploaded for the students) and be dedicated to discussions on current matters, as a means to have students learn without having to remove the context.
Aside from Pugal and Dumlao, Mr. Daryl Pasion announced to his SPAN 10 classes that he will be ending the semester as well, thanking his students despite the short duration of their class.
Mr. Josef Adriel De Guzman, meanwhile, told his STS 1 class that a brief “recovery week” will not be enough for his students to recover from recent events.
“Surely, one week is not enough to recover for someone who lost all their possessions in a flood or typhoon. One week is not enough to mourn the loss of one’s loved ones, is not enough to go back to normal,” De Guzman said.
Pugal called for other members of the faculty to be more understanding to the students. “Sabi nga ng isang colleague, hindi naman nag-exist lang ang guro para magbigay ng grades. So maari pa din namang magtuloy ang education kahit walang requirements,” Pugal elaborated.
More members of the faculty have ended their classes, like professors from the Department of Social Sciences and even the College of Veterinary Medicine. Last November 19, the All UP Academic Employees Union – Los Baños released an open letter addressed to the UPLB faculty, appealing to join the collective call to end the semester.
“We have approximately 800 students residing in typhoon-ravaged provinces... this is not the kind of education that our students deserve,” the union said.
The letter continued by list five results from “opening classrooms” no more graded assessments, continuous distribution of materials and sessions online, ungraded discussions or consultations with the students, and to craft a bridging program that would help in improving backloging skills.
Affected by the typhoon There are currently 1,732 UPLB students residing in the affected areas in Southern Tagalog and Cagayan, according to the Office of the University Registrar’s (OUR) Student Academic Information System team (SAIS) Team.
According to the University Student Council’s (USC) survey last August, four out of five students were in situations unfit for online learning. Respondents noted having a lack of learning spaces, unreliable Internet connectivity, experiencing family problems including domestic violence and abuse, and them and their families experiencing financial instabilities.
This survey was taken before the typhoons hit Luzon this November, and the calamity have surely brought more students in difficulty.
Gio Sabado, a second-year Agricultural Biotechnology student from UPLB, was one of those severely affected by the flood in Tuguegarao, Cagayan. In an interview with the Perspective, he narrated the horrors of floodwater gushing from the Cagayan River.
“Even with the updates we only saw from the internet [sic] of how Magat Dam would release water or open several gates. We did not have any idea which areas would be affected, how high the water would be, [and] what we needed to prepare. The water kept on rising even after the storm happened and our house’s first-floor was fully submerged in the flood,” Gio lamented.
The calamity was a huge blow to their community, Gio said, mentioning that several barangays were still flooded and it took them three days to clean their house of mud.
When asked about the plans to continue the semester, Gio seems to be focusing more on their recovery and a conscious effort to help the community.
“Kami-kami na rin lang yung nagtutulungan. Pero napakahirap kasi magbigay ng bagay na wala rin sayo. Wala kaming oras, enerhiya at kapasidad dahil inubos na ng bagyo,” Gio added.
“Please do not wait for storms to come to you before you realize how much we have suffered. We are grieving not only for our families but for our futures.”
