UP News April 2013

Vol.xxxiv no.4 diliman quezon city APRIL 2013 2013

U.P.News

1

University of the Philippines Community Newspaper

UP units as Centers of Excellence

Photo by Jose Wendell Capili

By Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc

Graduation ceremonies at UP Los Baños

UP confers degrees on 9,305 graduates

By Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc

U n ive r s i t y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s ended Academic Year 2012-2013 in commencement exercises that saw more than 9,300 graduates getting baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate recognition.

UP President Alfredo Pascual, in his message during a baccalaureate program at UP Baguio, congratulated the graduates saying: “Some of you battled against disappointments, and some of you considered giving up. But you did not give up. You picked yourselves up and persisted.

That you are here before me now is proof of your triumph.”

“As human beings, you must continue

to grow, to learn and to become better,” he added.

A total 4,355 graduates were from UP Diliman, 3,436 of whom received baccalaureate degrees and certificates while 919 received post-baccalaureate degrees and diplomas.

UP Los Baños confer red 1,737 undergraduate degrees and 256 graduate degrees, or a total 1,993.

At the UP Manila, the undergraduate programs turned out 1,016 finishers, while graduate studies had 106, for a total 1,122 new professionals.

There were a total 729 graduates from UP Visayas, 660 of them from its

undergraduate schools, and 69 from its graduate post graduate studies in the three campuses.

The UP Open University produced 244 graduates, 39 with baccalaureate degrees and 205 post-baccalaureate degrees from its semestral and trimestral programs in school year 2012-2013, including Summer 2012.

UP Baguio had 442 graduates, 428 with undergraduate degrees, and 14 with graduate degrees.

UP Mindanao produced 165 graduates, 158 from its baccalaureate programs and seven from its lone graduate program.

UP Cebu counted 255 graduates, 207 from its undergraduate programs and 48 PAGE

UPAA centennial kicks off

Photo by Misael Bacani

Photo by Gerry Diaz

Pascual, Rivera and Sarino sign the first day cover of the UPAA centennial stamps

24-year old Ariella Arida is this year’s Miss Universe Philippines.

She is a BS Chemistry (2010) alumna from UP Los Baños.

Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc

The UP Alumni Association (UPAA) opened its centennial celebrations consisting of a tribute to its past presidents and the launch of commemorative stamps during a double program last April 2 at the UPAA headquarters at the Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman.

President Alfredo Pascual, former

UPAA president and alumni regent, led the unveiling of portraits of past UPAA presidents on the walls of the UPAA Board Room at the Bahay ng Alumni. He congratulated the new UPAA officials for completing the old plan to honor the past UPAA presidents.

Pascual cited the collaboration between PAGE

10►

Photo by Gerry Diaz

UPLB Chem Grad is 2013 Bb. Pilipinas

12►

The University of the Philippines (UP) continues to reap honors as a “center of excellence and development” in various areas of study.

This was affirmed in memoranda issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) last March and April declaring anew UP units as Centers of Excellence (COE) and Centers of Development (COD) in different fields.

UP leads in Humanities Education with the recognition as “Center of Excellence” for the Music Program of the College of Music, the Literature Programs of the Department of English and Comparative Literature (DECL) and the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature (DFPL) of the College of Arts and Letters, the Foreign Language Program of the Department of Linguistics of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP), the Filipino Program of the DFPL, and the English Program of DECL. UP, particularly the Department of Broadcast Communication of the College of Mass Communication (CMC), was adjudged the sole Center of Excellence for Broadcasting Programs last March.

The accolade was conferred to the CMC’s Department of Journalism in a separate memorandum, also issued last March.

Earlier, in February, CSSP’s Department of Anthropology was recognized as a Center of Excellence in Anthropology.

Last year, CHED declared UP Los Banos’ (UPLB) College of Development Communication, UPD-CSSP’s Department of Psychology and Department of Political PAGE

2►

UPMin chancellor sworn in

By Rene Estremera

She is Prof. Sylvia Concepcion, former Dean of the School of Management.

She took her oath before UP President Alfredo E. Pascual in conjunction with the 16th Commencement Exercises of UP Mindanao last April 19.

Dr. Pascual handed to the new chancellor the symbols of her office--the Chancellor’s Medallion and the University Mace. Present were her husband Napoleon Concepcion and members of their family, and other UPMin officials.

In her acceptance speech, Concepcion underscored the need to reinvent and discover one’s competitive abilities to overcome the challenges confronting UP Mindanao.

A new era of growth and transformation Dr. Concepcion’s succeeded Dr. Gilda C. Rivero who occupied the post for two terms.

D r. C o n c e p c i o n’s s i g n i f i c a n t contributions to UP largely came from her extensive academic experience, having been a faculty member of UP Cebu College, the College of Business Administration in UP Diliman, and the School of Management of UP Mindanao.

She also held administrative positions PAGE

12►

2 U.P. News

april 2013

NIH-UPM to help enhance gov’t health policies

By Fred Dabu

Photo by Bong Arboleda

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) has presented several policy recommendations to address issues in the government’s Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (KP), highlighting its 15 th anniversary celebration last Feb. 21-22 at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

With the theme “Science and Health for Social and Economic Development,” the NIH held workshops and plenary presentations focusing on the reduction of non-communicable diseases and eradication of tropical diseases.

Outputs were forwarded to the Department of Health (DOH) since the studies and researches may yet serve as the backbone of government programs and legislation in health care.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the P1 billion granted to NIH would enhance its capabilities as the country’s resource center for health research and development. He added that the government should “look into long-term support” and the financing of P10 billion over a span of five years to support NIH personnel and infrastructure.

Ona said the NIH is making a big impact on society by targeting “the top two health problems today such as the reduction of noncommunicable diseases and the eradication of dengue and tropical diseases.”

UP President Alfredo Pascual cited the

NIH-UPM for initiatives that leverage resources and ensure that “the health sciences have direct impact on social and economic development.”

UPM Chancellor Manuel B. Agulto said there is a great need for researches “that can turn this country around… that can lead to major health reforms.”

Agulto said “we need to focus on translational researches, researches that can be translated into patents, policies or programs that can significantly improve the health of our people.”

“The university can serve as a catalyst to translation,” he added.

NIH Executive Director Vicente Belizario, Jr. said the allocation would be used to build a NIH building to house its various institutes featuring “stateof-the-art” laboratories.

The development of low-cost dengue kits, state of maternal nutrition, mandatory food labeling, health resources, herbal medicine research and development, implementation of the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program, and many other issues on health promotion were

discussed.

Since KP was launched, the NIH has supported DOH direction to universal health care by aligning researches to help meet the challenges of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The NIH was instrumental in the passage of two pertinent laws, the Newborn Screening Act of 2004 and the Newborn Hearing Screening Act of 2009.

The NIH also endorsed the Reproductive Health and Sin Tax bills.

were mandated to serve as “potent catalysts for world-class scholarship, best practices, innovative curriculum, research and extension, and professional development” in their respective fields. The designations are applied for and have varied expiration dates, mostly in 2014.

These “Centers” also enjoy priority in CHED grants for projects in line with developing their fields.

“CHED funds are limited, hence, not all proposals may be funded. As such, we are hoping that UP will allot special funds for instruction, research and extension activities that we will propose. It must be noted that while we will help other HEIs (higher education institutions), we must continue to work for overall excellence in terms of our curricular offerings, our faculty, our research and extension activities,” said Department of Communication Research chair Prof.

Florinda de Fiesta-Mateo.

Department of Broadcast Communication chair Prof. Jane Vinculado said the department hopes the UP System could support the faculty through grants and other means of assistance like study leaves, research, extension and creative load credits so that the faculty would be able to come up with more publications, productions and extension work to be favorably assessed by the CHED in the next round of applications.

She added that DZUP was a primary consideration in the favorable assessment of the unit and would appreciate further upgrade.

The upgrade of facilities is a common plan among the COEs. Department of Anthropology chair Nestor Castro said the department has set its sight on upgrading Pavilion 4 as the new space assigned for the department, a project where a CHED grant could be useful. “So we want to make it as an Anthropology Complex, where we will relocate our Anthropological Museum.”

Facilities such as a ceramics laboratory and laboratories for forensic anthropology and linguistic anthropology, separate physical anthropology and archeology laboratories, an audiovisual room and a specialized museum library for the Marcelo Tangco collection will be established in the complex.

Department of Linguistics Chair Aldin Lee said a grant could help further improve the facilities in the department library and language laboratory, and maintain its “smart” classrooms, which was made possible using funds the department generated.

As COE, the department plans to propose projects such as development of instructional materials and comparative researches between Filipino and Asian languages. It plans to conduct a survey to assess similar programs among higher

educational institutions in the country.

“We also intend to expand our network in the international community by holding an international conference. Our goal is to become the center of linguistic research and teaching of Asian languages in Southeast Asia within the next ten years.”

“We hope that we would also soon become the Center of Excellence in Linguistics. We are the only Department of Linguistics in the country and one of the firsts in the world so I really hope that CHED could also include our discipline in the next round of awards.”

Lee hopes the UP System could do something to streamline the approval of curricular revisions, which is needed to respond to the demands of being a COE. According to the Department of English and Comparative Literature Lily Rose Tope, the department was given COE status in 1996, and it already had teacher training, roving university and instructional materials projects then.

“We intend to continue this, especially in the context of K-12 because of which some of our courses will be absorbed into Grades 11 and 12, and we have to institute new ones in the tertiary level. We want to help teachers prepare for Grades 11 and 12, and our colleagues in tertiary institutions manage the new courses.” (With reports from Stephanie Cabigao and Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta)

President Alfredo Pascual and UP Manila Chancellor Manuel Agulto cut the ribbon to formally open the health research exhibit as UP Manila - National Institutes of Health (UPM-NIH) officials, led by Executive Director Vicente Belizario Jr, look on. A media briefing, research exhibit and plenary sessions on health policies were held on February. 22 at the Century Park Hotel in Manila in celebration of the UPM-NIH 15th Anniversary and 11th University Science and Technology Week.

Science, and UPD-CMC’s Department of Communication Research as Centers of Excellence in their respective fields.

In Science and Math, UP was likewise recognized as a Center of Excellence through extension of their status obtained in 2006.

These are Centers of Excellence in Biology (UP Diliman and UP Los Baños), Chemistry (UPD and UPLB), Geology (UPD), Marine Science (UPD), Mathematics (UPD and UPLB), Molecular Biology (UPD), Physics (UPD), and Statistics (UPD).

UPD, UPLB, and UP Cebu have also been separately declared Center of Excellence in Information Technology.

Not to be outdone, UPM also won similar recognition in Medicine and Nursing.

For its part, UPLB pocketed the same honors for Agricultural Engineering, Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine.

In the same breath, UP Visayas was named “Center of Development” in Biology, Marine Science, and Statistics; while UPLB got the same citation for Environmental Science; UP Baguio for Mathematics; and UP Mindanao for Information Technology.

In a CHED list updated as of Sept.20, 2012, UP had 26 Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development, the most number by a university. There were 245 such centers in the Philippines, according to the list.

Centers of excellence and development

UP checks candidates’ claim. Vice President for Public Affairs Prospero De Vera III (left) and UP Diliman Sociology Assistant Professor Nicole Curato, PhD (right, facing) discuss the UP sa Halalan project with veteran journalist Lynda Jumilla in the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC)’s Election Watch . The fact check project verified the veracity of the claims of candidates for the senatorial elections.

Photo by KIM Quilinguing

UP leads in... ◄PAGE 1

Infographic by Fred Dabu

april 2013

U.P. News 3

Revegetation and bamboo propagation: UP Baguio launches UN-WFP funded project

By Kryssa Balangcod and Freda Wong

other municipal officials, representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, barangay officials, local residents, and the members of the UP team.

The construction of a nursery followed. It was completed last March 21.

Other activities included training on the techniques of bamboo collection and propagation, held last March 25 with Gilbert Padillo from the Philippine Bamboo Foundation as trainor. The training covered residents and barangay officials.

Bamboo cuttings of different species were collected from Kapangan, Benguet and vetiver grass from Bulala, Sablan.

The plant samples were taken the next day to Poblacion Atok, Benguet for planting in the nursery. The project was replicated in Pacdal, Baguio to assess the adaptability of plant species for revegetation purposes.

The first week of April was spent on vegetation analysis of the model site and soil sampling. Laboratory processing of plant and soil samples is currently being done.

UPLB implements safety and security policies

By Arbeen Acuña

around the campus; ensuring secured accommodations in and outside the campus; providing assistance services at night; and involving the community in safety advocacy.”

As listed by Jamias, other initiatives of the UPLB administration (based on the OVCCA Report) are as follows: • Retooled the University Police Force (UPF) for campus risk management through a series of seminars and workshops; • Upgraded and modernized the wireless surveillance system – with 18 units of CCTV cameras connected to a monitoring station at the UPF headquarters; • Established a vehicle pass system starting March 19, 2012 to limit, regulate, and control all public and private vehicles without a valid UPLB car sticker that are entering and exiting the campus; • Drafted guidelines in the transport of heavy equipment, plants, and other construction materials to and from UPLB effective March 13, 2012, which requires presentation of permits and pertinent documents; • Implemented an anti-loitering and curfew program in campus on March 12, 2012 specifically for students from nearby schools (7am-6pm for loitering and 10pm4am for curfew); • Deployed staff to supervise the dormitories for 24 hours for seven days; the staff are assisted by the Community Support Brigade (CSB) and blue guards who watch over the dormitories from 10 pm to 6 am during weekdays and from 9:30 pm-5:30 am during weekends.

• Launched a Security Assistance Services Program in partnership with the Laguna Provincial Capitol (LPC) on March 11, 2012 to protect students who conduct projects and group study outside UPLB, during night time. Three of the 10 units of Suzuki multicabs donated by the LPC would patrol three outposts where majority of students reside; the rest could be used to shuttle and ferry the students back to their dormitories; • Required IDs and recorded the fingerprints of public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers plying the Putho-Tuntungin-Institute of Animal Science route and construction workers of on-going projects inside the campus; The UPF also controlled the

UP Baguio faculty members conduct hands-on training on bamboo collection and propagation.

The project also involves the construction of nurseries.

UPOU Park glows with sun-driven lights

By Anna Cañas-Llamas

The UP Open University’s (UPOU) Centennial Park in Los Banos, Laguna now shines brightly with “green” street lights.

The newly installed 16 solar-powered light-emitting diode (LED) streetlamps green lights symbolized UPOU’s reaffirmed commitment to a greener environment.

According to a conference paper presented recently by Assistant Professor Consuelo Habito of the Faculty of Management and Development Studies, and Engr. Don Irwin Caeg of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, the depletion of the earth’s non-renewable resources underscores the need for more sustainable power sources.

Solar-powered cells offer a clean energy option from an endless source – the sun.

Although materials for the solarpowered lamps cost more than installing conventional street lamps, Habito and Caeg’s presentations showed a significant difference in long-term savings. “While the initial costs of installation of solar-powered LED street lights are quite prohibitive, the benefits far outweigh the cost.”

Besides isolation from power interruptions, maintenance is easier and less costly. Conventional streetlights are prone to damage and need regular maintenance. On the other hand, solar-powered streetlamps are safe from floods, deterioration or pilferage since no underground wirings are necessary for this system.

Solar-powered lamps could also be used in remote areas where power grid lines were usually nonexistent.

With its mission of providing wider access to quality higher education, the UPOU equally supports national sustainable development.

As part of its green program, the UPOU’s Faculty of Management and Development Studies has conducted environment-related activities including a “Let’s Talk it Over” lecture series and Green and Recyclables Fair.

The University also plans to set up a “UPOU Community Hub,” a green building to be built near the University’s main entrance.

Photo from UPOU-IO

In response to criminal activities that victimized UPLB students and constituents, the UPLB administration, through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA) and other concerned offices, tried to strengthen and improve the implementation of safety and security measures.

The first initiative to put security matters on the table was during the Campus Safety and Security Summit organized by OVCCA last March 28, 2012. Attended by officials of UPLB, local government units (LGUs), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed forces of the Philippines (AFP) with the theme “Building collaborative approaches to safety and security administration,” the summit “led stakeholders” to “develop security and safety partnership agreements,” said Office of Public Relations Director Serlie Barroga-Jamias.

The OVCCA Accomplishment Report included sections on health security; campus safety and security management; safety and security of students. Last October 2012, UPLB approved a late night transport (LNT) service that “will charge PhP35.00 per person per month as proposed to the Fiscal Policies and Operations Committee (FPOC) for approval.” The UPLB Housing Office (UHO) will also have 24/7 staff in dormitories, including weekends to “immediately respond to the emergency cases.”

Launched last July 23, 2012, the UHO’s Dorm Loop Service “intends to provide a regular route and schedule to bring students and other commuters to and from the dormitories” to respective destinations within the UPLB campus; while the vendo machine service, proposed by UHO and approved by the Business Affairs Office, is “a way to respond to the requests of the dorm-residents to have a sari-sari store in the dormitories and to prevent the residents from going out late at night just to buy something to eat or drink.” Five vendo machines have been installed by the Happy Vending Enterprise, the winning bidder.

S u m m a r i z i n g t h e OVC C A Accomplishment Report, Jamias said that UPLB has been “training its security staff; enhancing its surveillance facilities; strengthening rules for entering and going

Photo from Ti Similla

UP Baguio is currently spearheading a UN-World Food Programme funded project called “Soil Stabilization through Revegetation of Natural Landslides to increase resilience of the Local Community” in Atok, Benguet.

The project implementation, headed

by Dr. Teodora Balangcod, was designed to enable local villagers to cope with challenges of their environment, notably landslides and loss of foliage.

It has four components: establishment of a nursery for rearing plant species to be used for revegetation of landslide-hit areas; evaluation of the adaptability of plant species for bio-engineering; mass planting of a model landslide (revegetation activity); and development of information campaign materials on mitigation of landslides using plant species to stabilize soil erosion.

After several visits to the project site, the first component had its groundbreaking ceremony at Poblacion Atok, Benguet last March 8, attended by WFP field monitor Joseph Alviar, Vice Mayor Marson Lay-at,

UPOU’s Centennial Park brightens with “green” street lights.

presence of ambulant vendors and other outsiders inside the campus; • Adopted interim measures to ensure the safety of students trekking the Makiling Forest Reserve such as having access pass; strict monitoring of logging in and out; guided tours instead of unrestricted roaming; and installation of “no entry or

danger zones”; • Enhanced community awareness through seminars and encouraged the residents’ participation through the U-Patrol wherein they would be additional “eyes and ears” of the University and the police by reporting non-compliance to regulations inside the campus.

4 U.P. News

april 2013

UPOU-Smart tieup for mobile apps, technopreneurship online course

Forum-workshop on Asia’s first anti-disappearance law held in UPD

UPOU-AusAID tie up on mobile learning project

By Thanya Kunakornpaiboonsiri

The UP Open University (UPOU) has joined forces with the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) is partnering for the conduct of a study on the effective use of tablet computers for public school students.

The AusAID has granted P24 million ($579, 497) to the UPOU for the research seeking to identify mobile learning strategies for the use of tablet computers.

Under the program, seventh grade students in nine public secondary schools in the National Capital Region have been given up to one thousand units of 7-inch Samsung Galaxy tablets, to use in their classrooms.

“Australia remains committed to raising the quality of education in the Philippines.

Technology has a lot to offer, and it is important to know how to get the best from the investment. This study will provide conclusive data on how schools can use digital technology for the greatest impact on learning,” said Australian Ambassador to Manila Bill Tweddell.

The study aimed to understand how digital devices can complement traditional ways of teaching and learning. It will also foster the Department of Education to equip teachers with technological skills while paving the way for the AusAID to undertake another study on the tablet use.

In turn, it will quantitatively measure the learning gains of students in the three key subject s of Science, Mathematics, and English.

This research is part of the Australian Government’s commitment to working with the Philippines in improving the quality of and access to basic education. Australia

First forum on enforced disappearances. Key representatives from the government, diplomatic community, civil society and the academe gathered together to address relevant issues in the implementation of the anti-disappearance law, among them (from left) Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances secretary general Mary Aileen D. Bacalso UP Asian Center’s Dean Carolyn Sobritchea; Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. RA 10353 author Rep Edcel C. Lagman, Human Rights Commissioner Cecilia Rachel Quisumbing, and Canadian Ambassador Christopher Thornley (not in photo).

Photo from UPOU-IO

Beginning this school year, the UP Open University (UPOU) will be offering an internet-based studies called Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

This was made possible through a partnership forged between the UPOU and SMART Communications Inc. providing for co-development of non-formal courses on Android Mobile Application Development and Technopreneurship effective for two years starting February this year.

The course materials, which will be developed through the Creative Commons framework, will also be made available to universities of SMART and other partner colleges that may want to offer the courses as electives.

The non-for mal courses will be eventually delivered through online learning.

As MOOCs, registration to the courses will be open to all.

It will also include a certification system for learners who will complete the courses.

SMART public affairs chief Ramon Isberto and UPOU Chancellor Grace Javier Alfonso signed the memorandum of agreement, representing their respective firms.

Present at the signing rite were Martin Earl Valencia, head of SMART’s Corporate Development and Innovation, and Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, dean of the UPOU Faculty of Information and Communication Studies.

Photo from AFAD

By Anna Cañas-Llamas

UPOU Chancellor Gigi Alfonso and Smart Communications’ Chief Wireless Adviser Orlando Vea lead UPOU and Smart officials in presenting the partnership for course development to the public.

UPOU launches digital literacy project The UP Open University has launched two pioneering digital literacy projects for women and wellness promotion in the workplace.

The projects, called i-Pinay” and “i-Live” were set in motion last March 22 at the UPOU Multimedia Center Theater, National Computer Center (NCC) building on C.P. Garcia Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

Described as as “women empowering initiatives,” the project launch was made in conjunction with the observance of OPOU’s 18 th anniversary and the International Women’s Month.

The event had for its theme “Connecting Women. Technology. Health.” i-Pinay resulted from UPOU’s Philippine Digital Literacy for Women Campaign in collaboration with Intel Philippines and Philippine Community eCenter Network (PhilCeCNet).

The drive sought to train grassroots Filipino women on digital literacy to bring about economic empowerment, social

development, confidence and self-esteem, and enhanced leadership participation in community activities.

“As an institution working with technology, the UPOU is also mindful of individual lives, professional community and the larger environment. i-Pinay shall contribute to equipping marginalized women with the ICT skills for the digital world,” said Dr. Melinda Bandalaria, i-Pinay project coordinator and dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies.

Dr. Dinah Nadera, chair of UPOU’s Master of International Health Program, described i-Live as a series of seminars on health and wellness promotion in the workplace.

The launch was highlighted by lectures on Responsible eWaste Management by Abigail Aguilar, Toxics Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, and on Computer-Related Injuries/Health Problems by Rehabilitation Medicine specialist Dr. Liza Virtucio.

provides around PHP 2 billion (US$ 48.3 million) annually to train teachers, provide educational facilities including classrooms and day care centres, strengthen schoolbased management practice, improve education planning and management systems, and provide teaching and learning materials.

“Australia’s commitment to the Philippines’ education sector is an investment not only in people’s futures, but in the nation’s development as well.

Australia sees education as playing a vital role in the economic development of the Philippines,” Ambassador Tweddell added.

UPOU Chancellor Grace Javier Alfonso also said that “UPOU is committed to

helping to upgrade the Philippine educational system through the development, testing and utilization of innovative educational approaches and technologies and the tablet study in particular is expected to enable the public schools involved to prepare their students for the challenges of a global and information-based society.”

The UPOU is an autonomous unit within the UP System. It specializes in open and distance education and e-learning. It offers online undergraduate and graduate programs, and undertakes research in the use of information and communications technology for teaching and learning. h t t p : / / w w w. f u t u r e g o v. a s i a / articles/2013/apr/18/philippine-universityjoins-forces-australia-mobil/

By the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances

Some 176 people representing a wide sector of society attended a precedentsetting forum-workshop on involuntary disappearance held last March 6 at the GT Toyota Auditorium of the UP Asian Center in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

The affair, dubbed “Forum-Workshop on Effective Implementation of Republic Act 10353: A Collective Endeavor,” formed part of continuing information campaign across various stakeholders and the general public regarding the issue of enforced disappearance and the relevance of a special penal law to address it.

Jointly organized by the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), and the International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED), the for um-workshop was supported by the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, and co-hosted by the UP Asian Center.

In his keynote address, Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of Republic Act 10353, also called An Act Defining and Penalizing Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance,” talked about the historical background of legislative deliberations on the measure, as well as its objectives, guiding principles, and salient provisions of the law.

He called on the people “to uphold human dignity and the rule of law,” specifically in collectively ensuring its effective implementation.

He viewed the May 13 elections as an opportune time to challenge the candidates “to commit to a human rights-based approach to governance”.

Key officials from the government sector provided insights on various issues pertaining to the implementation of the law.

From the Department of Justice (DOJ), Secretary Leila de Lima, no less, talked on the prosecution of the crime of enforced disappearances, while Human Rights Commissioner Cecilia Rachel Quisumbing discussed the role of her agency in the implementation of RA 10353.

Director Dulfie Tobias Shalim of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Protective Services Bureau gave a presentation on the reparative remedies and state protection for victims of enforced disappearance.

The panel of reactors consisted of lawyer Ricardo Sunga III, a professor and law reform specialist from the University of the Philippines Law Center; Louie Crismo whose brother Romeo was a so-called desaparecido, and police Supt. Henry Libay.

The participants discussed three topics in relation to the implementation of the law—investigation, prosecution, and rehabilitation.

Results of the discussions were deemed vital as basis of an advocacy plan for information dissemination and engagement with government agencies tasked in the implementation of the anti-disappearance law.

Mary Aileen D. Bacalso gave the synthesis and closing remarks.

In his speech, Canadian Ambassador Christopher E. Thornley said the enactment of R.A. 10353 was a positive step toward human rights protection and promotion of democratic governance and the rule of law.

He noted that there was still much to be done in this area, and gave assurance that the Canadian government would monitor and support relevant efforts relative to the issue.

PAGE

10►

april 2013

Triple Es for smooth traffic flow Photo \by Bong Arboleda

By Stephanie S. Cabigao

Traffic flow within the UP Diliman campus is expected to considerably improve with the application of scientific studies conducted by the university and financial support from stakeholders.

Traffic management in the campus is administered by the Office of Community Relations (OCR), which operates under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA).

While traffic management involves a broad spectrum of interlocking systems and networks, OCR believes that an efficient traffic system could be in place through concerted community efforts.

The National Center for Transportation Studies (NCTS) has formulated a scheme designed to generate a virtually seamless traffic flow inside the campus through the application of the three Es – engineering, enforcement, and education.

Engineering refers to road guides and technologies necessary for traffic management and road safety.

Enforcement involves traffic policies and enforcers.

Education, according to Dennis Raymundo of the OCR traffic management team, “is the most important aspect in traffic management.”

The “Engineering” factor got a big boost as the Manila North Tollways Corp.

(MNTC) donated P1.89 million worth of laboratory renovation and equipment.

MNTC vice president for communications Marlene Ochoa said the package consisted of renovation of the laboratory, three units of handheld GPS, a Lidar gun, a personal computer

At the turnover rites held at UP NCTS, MNTC Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan handed over the donation to UP President Alfredo E. Pascual to support NCTS’ transportation programs, which focus on research and training toward transformation and modernization of the country’s transport system. Receiving the donation along with UP President Pascual were (L-R) Dr. Ricardo G. Sigua, Head of Road Safety and Research Laboratory, and Dr. Hilario Sean O. Palmiano, UP NCTS director.

and new software particularly TSISCORSIM, Highway Capacity Software (HCS 2010) and Synchro Studio 8 that can gather more safety information and make better simulation studies on various traffic scenarios.

At the turnover ceremony held at NCTS’ Toyota Training Room on April 11, MNTC chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said the donation was an “expression of MNTC’s continuing support to NCTS” towards the further development of toll ways, as well as to contribute not only in toll ways, but also to other parts of the sector such as in education.

UP President Alfredo E. Pascual cited UP’s tie-up with the MNTC that “pursues common goals to promote national development and capacity-building programs.” “The OCR closely coordinates

with NCTS for its road engineering expertise,” NCTS Prof. Karl Vergel said.

In terms of “Enforcement,” the OCR focuses on the entry of public utility jeepneys (PUJs). With only two traffic enforcers detailed at the OCR, it closely coordinates with the UP Diliman Police (UPDP) traffic team for assistance. Traffic rules are strictly enforced within the campus, Cpl. Jaime Marquina said.

In the area of “Education,” the UP traffic management team educate drivers through transport and traffic seminars held at the OCR. Another important aspect to traffic management is the annual vehicle inspection.

The team conducts yearly assessments of all PUJs (including UP vehicles under smoke emission testing).

PAGE

10►

UP-NIH gears up for improved health services Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc

The UP Manila-National Institutes of Health (UPM-NIH) is embarking on a major development project meant to improve further their health services.

This was announced by Dr. Tony Leachon, UP Manila’s director of Information, Publications, and Public Affairs Office.

NIH is presently constructing a new building, with a P1-billion budget subsidy approved by Congress and Malacañang. The edifice will have modern equipment needed to boost the NIH services.

According to an article by Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr., executive director of the NIH, the new building, which will initially require P1.2 billion, would enable the component institutes to have exclusive work areas of

their own.

The physical upgrade is meant to increase productivity, accommodate more clients, and boost income generation.

At present, the component institutes and the three centers under them have to make do with a 2,000-square meter historical building formerly occupied by the Bureau of Science, Leachon said.

T h e n e w mu l t i - s t o r e y b u i l d i n g would provide enough space for various research and reference laboratories, as well as other needs of researchers including work space, training and conference facilities.

An initial equipment cost outlay of P300 million was also needed.

With the initial investments, the NIH should be able to generate enough income

to be self-sufficient in three to four years, Belizario noted.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona, in a message delivered during the NIH 15th anniversary celebration last February, said the amount granted to NIH would go a long way.

Ona added though, that “to elevate NIH into national and international recognition means looking into long-term support… (or) financing of P10 billion over a span of five years.”

“T his will g o into suppor t for researchers, clinicians and personnel, as well as infrastructure,” the Secretary pointed out.

The NIH consists of nine missionoriented and problem-directed institutes

UP studes eye ‘tahong’ shells for hollow blocks Hold on to those tahong shells. They may come in handy for industrial use later on.

Discarded mussel (tahong) shells may yet be utilized as raw materials in the production of stronger and lighter hollow blocks, according to a winning study of students from the UP Visayas-Tacloban College (UPVTC).

The paper was submitted in the recent “Project Pagsulong,” a national social enterprise business proposal writing competition.

UPVTC Management students Maria Katrina Alfante, Geneline Apuya, and Mark Anthony Capinan called their proposal “green construction,” where mussel shells, an excess by-product, could be recycled as a valuable raw material for stronger and lighter hollow blocks.

“The project seeks to address the proper utilization and disposal of discarded and unused mussel shells. It might also help minimize farmers’ losses in times of red tide because even the shells of contaminated mussels may be bought at reasonable prices and used as raw materials for hollow blocks making,” Alfante said.

Aptly named “power mussels,” Alfante said a prototype product showed about 650 pounds per square inch (psi) level, way above the standard load-bearing requirement for construction. “Our target beneficiaries of the project are mussel farmers in the municipality of Jiabong, Samar where mussel farming is the main livelihood, an activity that produces marketable products. Unfortunately, the shells are also an excessive waste byproduct,” Alfante noted.

PAGE

10►

She added that the idea was not actually new because during the Spanish period, coral shells were used as materials in building churches. “We just put a modern twist to it to help the poor community in Jiabong and nearby villages. Our project also aims to introduce a new building material that is both economically and ecologically sustainable,” Alfante added.

Each tahong hollow block may be sold at about P8.

“We are g rateful for “Project Pagsulong” because we were able to share something that will help alleviate poverty by bringing our business ideas to life,” Alfante said.

She said the P500,000 prize from the contest will be used as seed capital in the implementation of the project to keep it “sustainable” and “functional.” (Philippine News Agency)

U.P. News 5

BALITANG UNYON Rice Subsidy Distribution natapos na Matapos ang mahabang panahon ng paghihintay na dulot ng mga teknikalna rekisitos, ay matagumpay na naisag awa ang nasabing pamamahagi ng bigas.

Matatandaan na buwan pa lamang ng Enero ay nagpadala ang AUPWU ngliham na hinihiling na isama sa pag-apruba ng BOR ang pagrelease ng pondo na kinakailangan para sa una at ikalawang sako ng bigas. Para sana maaga itong maaprobahan upang mas mapaghandaan ng BAC ang masasalimuot na rekisitos at maitugma sana sa panahon ng anihan, na relatibong mas mababa ang halaga at nakatitiyak na ito ay talagang bagong ani na nais ng mas nakakarami.

Dahil na rin sa laki ng bulto o dami ng sako ng bigas na humigit sa 10,000 sako ng bigas ay naantala ang takdang araw ng pamamahagi nito. Gayunpama’y napabilis pa rin ito dahil sa isinagawang pakikipagusap ni G. Nestor Ore na secretary ng unyon ng Diliman Chapter at naisagawa ang inisyal na pag-deliver nitong Mayo 2. 2013.

Ang unang araw ng pamamahagi ay nagdulot ng pagsikip na trapiko sa paligid ng opisina ng Provident Fund at J.P. Laurel Street, na maagap namang tinugunan at naisaayos ng ilang opisyal ng unyon katuwang

ang mga SSB. Naging mahaba rin ang pila, subalit maayos at matiyaga silang naghintay na may kasama pang tawanan, biruan o kantiyawan.

Gamit ang iba’t ibang pamamaraan ng pag-transport ng sako ng bigas ay may ngiti sa labi na nilululan nila ang sako ng bigas, sa kariton, bisikleta, motorsiklo, owner type jeep, taxi at sariling mga kotse.

Naging maayos din ang isinagawang pamamahagi sa UP Manila PGH na kung saan ay mahigit na 3,000 ang bilang ng kawani.

Samantala sa UP Los Baños naman ay nagkaroon ng sobrang bilang ng sako ng bigas. Kasalukuyang inaalam kung paano nagkaroon ng hindi tugmang bilang ng kawani sa dami ng sako ng bigas. Matatandaan na ang tanging tungkulin lamang ng ating unyon ay matiyak na maganda ang kalidad, tama ang timbang ayon sa itinakada ng specification at matiyak na maayos na pamamahagi nito.

Ang nasabing sabayang pagbibigay ng 1st at 2nd rice subsidy ay kasunduan kasama ang Union Management Consultative Body (UMCB) sa hangaring makatipid sa proseso ng bidding.

6 U.P. News

april 2013

Commencement Speeches Photo by UPSIO Photo by UPSIO

Living a life of purpose Sen. Edgardo J. Angara UP Diliman April 28, 2013

“There may be as many stories of individual journeys as there are graduates here today.

Each of you had your own circumstances to overcome.”

The graduates of UP Los Baños

Landmarks of my life-journey

Each of us has his own journey to tell—inspiring, remarkable, unique. Mine began in Baler, many moons ago, when Baler was still part of Tayabas, now Quezon province.

In those days, Baler was as bucolic as it gets: locked in by the rumbling Pacific on one side and the majestic Sierra Madre on the other. So cut off were we from the rest of the province, and the mainland, that you could more easily reach Baler by sea than by land.

We regarded ourselves as neither rich nor poor. We did not have the comforts of electricity and running water; much less the luxury of a movie house. Nature was our only playground, and the only form of staged entertainment we could get was the feria during the yearly town fiesta. But most local families owned modest farms; and, from the land and the sea, we obtained our food and our income.

My family has been of Baler from as far as anyone could

chicken, eggs, a basket of greens. No one was turned away.

All 10 of us had to help in the household chores, even after my father became Baler’s first town mayor under the Commonwealth. My responsibility involved crossing a river at night to bring home food scraps for my mother’s piggery—quite an exciting daily adventure for a young boy.

We only had an elementary school in Baler then. To reach it, I walked barefoot nearly three kilometers everyday from our home on the outskirts of town. When I came to the big city to study at Roosevelt High School in San Juan, I still walked to school barefoot —looking every inch the probinsyano that I was.

But I saw these details of the life we led neither as a mark of poverty nor as a sign of backwardness. Ours was, simply, an austere life in an austere place.

Education was our only wealth

There may be as many stories of individual journeys as there are graduates here today. Each of you had your own circumstances to overcome.

Education was our only wealth. And of the opportunity to learn, we were never deprived.

Our home was also our earliest training ground in public service, and our parents our first teachers. It was no surprise that all of us children took up professions strongly oriented toward service—social work, medicine, nursing, engineering, law—and that, subsequently, we all worked in the public sector.

That is why I credit my parents for my greatest advocacies and values. They instilled in us the importance of learning, the single-minded pursuit of knowledge, and Photo by UPSIO

The graduates of UP Diliman

remember. Ours was one of a handful of families who survived the tsunami that wiped out the original coastal town in 1735.

My father, Juan, studied to be both a nurse and a dentist at the Philippine General Hospital. There he met my mother, Juana, whose family came from Marikina.

Together they returned to Baler to serve: the only medical professionals in our town for some twenty-odd years. In the pre-war days, they delivered every baby and attended to every sick townsfolk.

I was the sixth of ten children; my own father delivered me from my mother’s womb.

A stream of townsfolk filled our living room from morning until dusk. People looked to my parents for both treatment and medicine. Most could only pay in kind:

the virtue of a compassionate character: the capacity to see one’s needs and wants in light of the community’s.

In an environment alien to frills and excess, I first learned the essence of being an Iskolar ng Bayan: to strive for excellence and to serve without reservation.

A new generation of ilustrados

There may be as many stories of individual journeys as there are graduates here today. Each of you had your own circumstances to overcome.

That you got here is in itself a success: nay, a privilege.

Only a handful of Filipinos—15 out of every 100—manage to obtain a college diploma. That makes all [number of graduates] of you an elite group. You may very well be our country’s new generation of ilustrados—the enlightened Filipino middle class.

PAGE

11►

Dream big.

Now.

Felipe L. Gozon UP Los Baños April 30, 2013

Photo by AVP Jose Wendell Capili

P

resident Alfredo E. Pascual; Members of the Board of Regents; Officers of the UP System and of UP Diliman; Chancellor Caesar A. Saloma; Deans of the various colleges; Members of the Faculty and Staff; and our dear graduates and your proud families.

I have been part of UP, and UP has been a part of me.

I was once a student like you: hopeful, young, burning with ideas and ambition. After graduating, I returned to UP, first, as university president, then as a member of the Board of Regents—a privilege laden with responsibility.

I have attended my fair share of commencement exercises over the years; but today I join you, Batch 2013, a proud and grateful product of this University.

“So, you should dream big and have confidence in yourselves, but at the same time stay in touch with the realities around you.”

I am proud to speak before you just within minutes before you

get hold of your respective diplomas, proof of your hard work and the fruit of your parents’, guardians’ and teachers’ sacrifices and support. Congratulations to all of you!

I just learned that one of your batchmates, Alyssa Asilo, in spite of having been diagnosed with leukemia last year, tenaciously persisted in completing her course in the College of Veterinary Medicine at UP Los Baños. She was posthumously given her medal and diploma with honors that she richly deserved this morning.

I can find no better example of the sheer determination of a student to pursue her dream to graduate, despite the odds, hardship and outcome, than that shown by Alyssa.

Today, you graduate from an institution that cultivates dreams – yours and those of thousands who came before you and of thousands of others who will come after you – and enables those dreams to become reality.

But UP Los Baños is not your dream-weaving factory from fantasyland where all dreams come true in a snap. At UP, you are taught that it pays to study well not only for you to get good grades, but also to open your eyes to the discovery and rediscovery of knowledge. Simply put, this campus, manned by the best teachers and mentors, set in a fresh mountain environment, prepared you well to be important players in the real world.

As you leave UP, you will not be without fear. For we all know that life’s journey is full of uncertainties. And you are not exempt from life’s challenges just because of your passage from being “Iskolar ng Bayan” to “college graduate.”

But do not be disheartened. Think about what I am about to say, and believe.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.”

So, you should dream big and have confidence in yourselves, but at the same time stay in touch with the realities around you.

Gain experience and absorb knowledge as much as you can. It is not a joke that indeed, experience is the best teacher.

Also remember that joining the ranks of the employed is not your only opportunity to make your own mark in this world. You can also be an entrepreneur. Think of a product or service you can offer differently. Innovate and create a niche in business.

Most of the successful Chinese families I know encourage their children to start a business, big or small, apart from gaining employment. More than planning to be employees, they plan to be employers, thus contributing more to the national economy.

april 2013

U.P. News 7 Photo by AVP Jose Wendell Capili

Photos by AVP Jose Wendell Capili

Commencement Speeches

A Shared Triumph Alfredo E. Pascual UP Baguio April 26, 2013

“Be a person whose aspirations go beyond the narrow confines of ‘self,’ ‘family,’ and ‘local community,’ but includes others, country, and humanity.”

Isang mapagpala’t mapagpalayang umaga sa inyong lahat.

PAGE

10►

PAGE

11► Photo by AVP Jose Wendell Capili

Iba na rin kasi ang panahon ngayon.

Thomas Friedman, an opinion columnist of the New York Times, wrote, “My generation had it easy. We got to ‘find’ a job.

But, more than ever, our kids will have to ‘invent’ a job, adding that given the pace of change today, even those who find jobs will have to re-invent, re-engineer and re-imagine that job much more than their parents if they want to advance in it.”

This is an age when things are seemingly unstructured, not like before when there were rules for everything. But you are lucky to have the world practically at your fingertips. Young people today need not try too hard to know of cultures or economies of countries on the opposite side of the globe.

You have Facebook, Twitter, short messaging systems or text messaging. You have Instagram to share your precious moments in pictures. You have apps that help you cut down or even eradicate library time and physical group studies. You have Google to give you well-researched data in a flash. You just need to know how and where to look.

So dream big, but do not be afraid of hard work. I believe I did the same thing not so long ago and by the grace of God, I now have this opportunity to share with you my story today.

Early on, I had always wanted to be a lawyer. My family and friends thought the same because as a child, I loved to argue and never ran out of questions. To make a long story short, I went to the best law school in the country – the UP College of Law, of course.

Later on, I got a fellowship from the best law school in the United States— that’s Yale Law School.

After my fellowship, I sent my applications to two of the biggest and most prestigious law firms in the Philippines at that time—the Sycip, Salazar, Luna, Manalo and Feliciano Law Firm and the Ponce Enrile, Siguion Reyna, Montecillo and Belo Law Firm.

At Sycip, I was offered an initial salary of 1,000 pesos, which was considered substantial for starting lawyers in the 1960’s. I recall then that the dollar was worth only 2 pesos. On top of that, I was to have a small office space of my own. I was supposed to fill a vacancy in the section on Patents and their most senior partner even took the time to interview me.

At Ponce Enrile, on the other hand, I do not remember being interviewed at all. I was offered 450 pesos a month with no office of my own. I was just told that I would be provided with a temporary desk at the office’s library.

While many thought it was a no-brainer that I join Sycip, I did otherwise. I joined Ponce Enrile after much reflection.

Why? Because aside from being young, and thinking of myself

Congratulations to you, the graduates – members of UP Baguio’s Class of 2013. I share your joy today.

Finally, your years of study and hard work have come to fruition.

Congratulations to the officials, faculty, and staff of UP Baguio for producing another bountiful harvest.

These are the people who provided you, graduates, the nurturing environment that shaped you into experts and leaders who will in turn shape the destiny of our nation.

But most of all, I congratulate your parents, families and loved ones. These are the people who, for the past four or five years, worked just as hard and sacrificed just as much as you have. Your graduation from UP Baguio today is as much their triumph as it is yours. May I ask the parents who are present today to stand up? And may I ask you graduates to glance at your parents, say thank you, father, thank you, mother, for everything that you’ve done for me, and give them a warm round of applause.

Now I turn again to our graduates. I would like to start my message to you with a simple question that is usually asked of young children: What would you want to be when you grow up?

You have heard this question before. Do you remember your answer? Doctor? Teacher? Policeman?

Garbage collector?

You thought you answered this question when you filled up your UPCAT application form years ago. Now that you are UP graduates, I ask you again: What would you want to be when you grow up?

You come from different disciplines. In time, some of you will be employees and managers in private companies. Some of you will be entrepreneurs, and create your own companies. Some of you will be educators, helping develop the next generation. Some of you will be researchers and, especially for you who will do research in this region, you will work to deepen our understanding of our indigenous peoples and cultures.

Some of you will be artists, writers, and musicians, articulating the aspirations of our people. Some of you will be advocates, working to protect our environment and promote social justice. All of you will be leaders in your respective spheres of influence – in government, in civil society, in business and industry, wherever you may be.

It is my hope that you all reach the heights of success

in your chosen fields of endeavor. However, no matter what your profession or position will be, it is still not an answer to that question: What would you want to be when you grow up? I offer you two seemingly contradictory answers. The first is: I would want you to be a grownup. And the second answer is: I would want you never to be a grown-up.

For the first answer, let us take a neurological perspective. You entered UP at a stage when your brain is undergoing rapid development. So you spent the most critical period of development of your brain in what is conceivably the best place for it to develop – that is, UP. The lessons you learned in UP, have been ingrained in you, biologically speaking. I am not just referring to the skills required by your specialized fields; I am talking about the life-lessons you picked up in the process.

In UP, you learned that the most significant things in life are things you must work for. In UP, you learned that not everything is going to come easily for you; that you are only as entitled as the next person; and that the fruits of labor take time, but are that much sweeter.

Think back to all the sacrifices you made to reach where you are now. All the nights you spent studying when you could have been out with your friends. The sense of discipline you developed as you learned to prioritize the important things. The courage it took for you to discard your preconceived ideas in order to learn from different people, to see with different eyes, and to think in different ways.

For some of you, the sacrifices may have included learning to ask for help when you needed it. Some of you had to delay completing the long sought after UP education for a while to work and earn. Some of you battled against disappointments, and some of you considered giving up. But you did not give up. You picked yourselves up and persisted. That you are here before me now is proof of your triumph.

UP gave you a safe place to become grown-ups, and to learn the big lessons in life—humility, discipline, patience, resourcefulness, a sense of responsibility and personal accountability, the capacity to see the world from the eyes of others, and a deep commitment to give back. These are the signs of adulthood. This is why I want you to be grown-ups when you leave UP. Because outside UP, you will face much bigger

The graduates of UP Baguio

8 U.P. News

april 2013

Two UP law alumni named to Comelec

Pinoy forester-lawyer heads ACB A Filipino forester-lawyer has been chosen by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to lead the Asean Center for Biodiversity (ACB).

Roberto V. Oliva, bested applicants from other Asean member-states to be the next ACB executive director, succeeding Rodrigo U. Fuentes who died in August last year. Oliva’s appointment was announced

by Environment Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio Jr., acting executive director of the ACB governing board.

Oliva took his oath of office on April 23 at the ACB Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna.

A professional forester and lawyer, Oliva specializes in natural resources law and policy, and has over 30 years of professional experience

Oliva

UP Law prof named to COA

By Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas.

President Aquino has appointed lawyer Rowena Guanzon, former mayor of Cadiz City in Negros Occidental, to the Commission on Audit, making the powerful panel an all-woman body.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the President signed Guanzon’s appointment on March 8.

“It is going to be an all-woman COA commission, with (COA chair Grace Tan and (Commissioners) Heidi Mendoza,” Lacierda told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview.

Guanzon, who replaced Juanito Espino Jr., will serve as commissioner until February 2, 2020.

Guanzon graduated top ten of her class

PNoy appoints ex-UP dean to DepEd

By Dennis Carcamo, philstar.com

President Aquino has appointed a former dean of UP as undersecretary at the Department of Education (DepEd).

Dina Joana Ocampo Cristobal, erstwhile dean of UP Diliman’s College of Education, was named Education Undersecretary for Programs and Projects.

Cristobal has a Doctorate degree in Psychology earned from the University of Surrey, United Kingdom.

She majored in Special Education for her undergraduate degree, cum laude, and has a Master’s Degree in Reading Education from UP Diliman.

Her professional trainings included studies in Reading and Dyslexia, Psychometric Theory, Psychological Assessment and Quantitative Research Methods, all from the University of Surrey in England.

She also attended workshops on the improvement of English language teaching, multi-sensory approach to teaching children with specific language difficulties, as well as nonformal education: theory and good practices for South and South East Asian countries.

Her fields of research included modeling the establishment of a culturally-appropriate education system for Filipino indigenous peoples and the formulation of the national language and learning strategies for the Filipino, among others.

At DepEd, she took over the post vacated

by Undersecretary Yolanda Quijano who retired recently. http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/04 /18/932161/pnoy-appoints-ex-dean-deped

in the UP College of Law. She also has a degree in Economics from the UP. She earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where she was an Edward Mason Fellow and Class Marshal.

Before her appointment, Guanzon was teaching at the UP College of Law. She was a founding member of the Asia Cause Lawyers Network, Gender Justice Network and CEDAW Watch, and officer-in-charge of the Institute for the Administration of Justice of the UP Law Center. (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/373179/ law-professor-named-audit-commissioner #ixzz2Sb89Oz5Q)

UP ChemEng grad heads TV5

By Kathleen A. Martin, ABS-CBNnews.com (abridged)

Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd. has appointed Noel C. Lorenzana as president and chief executive officer of MediaQuest, its broadcasting arm in the Philippines effective June 1, 2013.

Lorenza takes over the post vacated

by Ray C. Espinosa who remains as MediaQuest’s new associate director, head of government and regulatory affairs, and head of communications bureau.

Lorenzana Espinosa steps down as president and chief executive officer of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.’s MediaQuest Holdings Inc., which controls the group’s media assets including TV5.

“The changes described above will take effect on June 1, 2013,” the Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) said in a statement.

Pangilinan, First Pacific managing director and PLDT chairman, said.

Lorenzana “faces a tough job as he takes on the challenge of turning around TV5, while maintaining the growth momentum at Cignal TV towards leadership in the Pay-TV industry.”

“Noel’s background in the telco space and in fast moving consumer goods will be of immense advantage in his ability to bring the worlds of media and telecommunications closer,” he added.

Lorenzana also serves as PLDT’s head for individual business and head for Smart Communications Inc.’s consumer wireless division. His appointment to MediaQuest comes alongside his position as head of PLDT’s newly-formed Multimedia Office, tasked to coordinate a multi-screen strategy for the firm.

Lorenzana previously held sensitive posts in consumer goods giant Unilever’s units in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Lorenzana graduated from UP with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He also studied at Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge USA, at Kellogg School of Management in Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois USA and at Ashridge School of Management in London.

Meanwhile, Charles A. Lim replaces Lorenzana as PLDT Group’s head for individual business. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/04/23/13/ espinosa-leaves-tv5-moves-mvps-corporate-ladder http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:5oZiJLS8DxwJ: www.youngmarketmasters.com/html/events-2011-judges.html+&cd=1&hl=e n&ct=clnk&gl=ph

Photo from alum.up.edu.ph

President Aquino has appointed lawyers Al Parreño and Louie Tito Guia, both alumni of the University of the Philippines (UP), to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), filling up vacancies created by the retirement of two commissioners prior to the May 13, 2013 elections.

Prior to their new appointments, Parreño was board member of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), while Guia was acting executive director of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente). They took the post vacated by Comelec Commissioners Rene Sarmiento and Armando Velasco who retired early this year.

“The President is confident that in assuming their new positions as commissioners, they will demonstrate integrity, probity, and independence in the conduct of their duties and further strengthen Comelec in fulfilling its constitutional mandate to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

Parreno and Guia joined the poll body amid reports that Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr was mulling resignation due to differences with certain Supreme Court decisions.

Parreño was among the private prosecutors in the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona. He served as project manager of Electronic Data Discovery and Management Review, and legal counsel of ePLDT. Guia, who earned his political science and law degrees from UP, worked as international election consultant to countries such as Papua New Guinea and Kenya, among others. He was also involved in electoral reform work in the National Movement for Free Elections, Consortium of Electoral Reform (CER), Libertas, and LENTE.

Photo from newsinfo.inquirer.net

By Genalyn D. Kabiling

in forestry, protection, environment and natural resources management.

He graduated from the UP College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR) in 1978 as a government scholar, and was a recipient of the Society of Filipino Foresters Award on Leadership.

He finished Law in 1984, and in 1988, completed a senior fellowship at the Asean Institute of Forest Management in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where he wrote a book, titled “Harmonization of Forest Policies in the Asean Region.”

Oliva was a professorial lecturer of the CFNR where he taught forestry laws, rules and regulations, forest policies and forest administration subjects. He was also a lecturer in the graduate program of the Development Academy of the Philippines handling the legal framework for biodiversity conservation.

He also worked with international organizations, among them the United Nations, Asian Development Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, World Bank, Global Environment Facility, US Agency for International Development and private consulting firms mostly as natural resources policy and legal specialist.

His contributions to projects with these organizations included the preparation of the Philippine forestry master plan; drafting of the Forestry Code of the Philippines; formation of multisectoral forest protection committees; conduct of protected areas and biodiversity studies; preparation of various administrative issuance in the field of natural resources at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); and participation in the Model Forest project, Sustainable Coastal Tourism of Asia, and Eco-Governance Project.

From April 2006 to February 2007, Oliva was an international legal consultant/ international forestry legal consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, where he assisted the government of Kenya in the development of subsidiary legislation for forestry.

At the home front, Oliva assisted the DENR and local governments in environmental protection and management, including the generation of resources for local governments. In 2011, he was team leader in the formulation of the Environment Code of Santa Rosa City in Laguna.

He was assistant secretary of the DENR and executive director of the Land Administration and Management Project 2 prior to his appointment as ACB executive director.

Oliva has received numerous awards in recognition of his achievements, including Outstanding Citizen of Los Baños, Laguna in 2004; Outstanding Alumnus Award in Forestry Laws and Policies of the UPCFNR and of UPLB, both in 2004; Outstanding Leadership Award as UPCFNR President from 2005 to 2011; and the UPLB Alumni Association Service Award in 2011.

In 2004, he worked with ACB’s predecessor, the Asean Regional Center for Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC) on a study dubbed “Legal Personality and Institutionalization of the ARCBC.” He was also the legal counsel of ACB from 2008-2011.

Under Oliva’s leadership, the ACB is expected to continue strengthening its biodiversity conservation efforts in the region, and develop new directions in the protection of Asean’s natural heritage. http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/ index.php/features/biodiversity/12335filipino-forester-lawyer-to-lead-acb

april 2013

U.P. News 9

UP mentors write for French monograph on Phl

Pinoy students shine in AsiaPacific cyber research contest

By Marlon C. Magtira (abridged)

Three Filipino students competing in an international cybersecurity research contest have made it to the top 15 finalists.

They are Computer Science senior students Ivan Dominic Baguio and John Ultra, both of the University of the Philippines, and Marvin Rey Garcia of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

The contest dubbed “The Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa (APAC and MEA) Cup 2013” is an annual international student event “aimed at encouraging research into information security across related fields to push the boundaries of knowledge and academic study into application/ Research papers submitted by undergraduate to post-graduate students from the region were vetted by a panel of academicians and Kaspersky Lab analysts.

Kaspersky Lab is a global developer of secure content and threat management solutions.

This year’s theme of the contest held at the National University of Singapore was “Cybersecurity for the Next Generation.”

This was the second time the Philippines reached the regional finals in the annual event.

The first time was in 2012 when a research paper authored by Joshua Arvin Lat and teammates Rod Bondoc and Kevin Atienza from UP Diliman was shortlisted for the Asia Pacific and Middle East Asia round. The team later bagged the first prize in the final round of the Kaspersky Lab International Conference in the Netherlands, for their paper on a secure online USB login system.

“Competition is stiff, not just for the attractive cash prizes of $1,000, $750 and $500 for the top three places, but also for the opportunity to gain exposure at the international level.

All team leaders of the research papers

are automatically accorded free travel and accommodation packages, plus a guided tour of the host city,” Kaspersky said.

Ultra’s solo research paper titled, “A Collaborative Access Control Model for E-voting Systems” proposes a new method for modeling and enforcing separation of duty (SoD) in computer system like the one used in electronic system (e-voting).

SoD is a popular approach to minimize fraud and error in high integrity tasks.

Ultra proposes an intuitive and easy to use method for enforcing SoD on tasks performed on computer system which can be used to raise the integrity of election administrative tasks performed on an evoting system.

Baguio and co-author John Carlo Florencio entr y titled “On-the-f ly Encryption for Android Devices” seeks to address the limitations of Android devices in encrypting disks or external memory in real time.

The other top finalists were students from Indonesia’s Bandung Institute of Technology, City University of Hong Kong, South Africa’s Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Australia’s University of Technology, Iran’s Shiraz University, Japan’s Institute of Information Security, India’s KIIT University and the Malaysian institutes University of Malaya, Universiti Teknologi MARA, and Multimedia University.

The three best papers from this round will represent the region and compete against other regional qualifiers from North America, South America, Europe, Russia and Commonwealth Independent States at the international and final round. This will be held at the Royal Holloway, University of London in the United Kingdom in June 2013.

h t t p : / / m a n i l a s t a n d a r d t o d ay. com/2013/03/19/ph-shines-in-globaltech-research-contest/

graduates.

During the launch, Garachon acknowledged the significance of the Franco-Filipino collaboration for the monograph w h i ch h e s a i d “provides key elements for understanding the [local] situation in the conceptualization of concrete projects in the Philippines” such as research prog rams, i n v e s t m e n t s , (Clockwise from top left) Malay, Tan, Zablan, Luna development, and Philippine Contemporaines will eventually humanitarian projects. be made locally available through the A press statement of the French French Embassy which said that although Embassy quoted IRASEC director Francois the monograph is written in French, there Robinne as saying during the launch the is a possibility for future projects between publication “does not only help put the French and Filipino researchers to be Philippines back on the map in the domain published in English. of social sciences, but also brings together Tan lloks forward to having a version of the work of 16 Filipino researchers.”

Philippine Contemporaines for Filipino readers.

“Philippine Philippine Contemporaines is exactly what “I would really like to see this [monograph] we at IRASEC want our collaborations translated into English and made available with local researchers and institutions to for Filipinos, because this is not a tourist be: rigorous academic research that offers guidebook, but an academic [work] that new and innovative analyses on important isn’t too heavy. It is something the UP Press themes,” he added. might want to consider.”

Photo from http://conversation.lausanne.org/uploads/ Photo from http://i-p-o.org/up-manila-faculty.htm accounts/profile_images/10251/10214_150_-1.JPG

Manuel Victor J. Sapitula, who was assistant professor at the Department of Sociology, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, and is currently a doctorate student in Sociology at the National University of Singapore; Dr. Elisabeth Luquin, senior lecturer in Filipino and Philippine literature at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Cultures in Paris, who is currently an exchange professor in UP Diliman; and Dr. JC Gaillard, Associate Professor at the School of Environment of the University of Auckland in New Zealand, who is a visiting professor at UP Diliman.

Dean Tan, who was invited to deliver a message during the launch of the monograph last March 13 at the newlyrenovated Alliance Francaise de Manille in Makati, considers it an honor that UP people are able to contribute to the publication. “I am really hopeful that this [monograph] would give more attention to the efforts of the French to understand the Philippines,” he said.

He added that French Ambassador to Manila Gilles Garachon explained during the launch that the monograph basically targets the French people, especially those interested in Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines.

Tan also recalled his meeting with the French commercial attaché, who told him that the biggest French company in the Philippines, Teleperformance, employs UP

Photo from https://www.facebook.com/mulatpinoy

Four prominent UP faculty members and two French exchange professors in UP Diliman, are among the contributors in a monograph on contemporary Philippine society launched recently by the French Embassy.

They are Prof. Emmanual M. Luna of the College of Social Work and Community Development; Dr. Armando S. Malay, Jr., former Dean of the Asian Center; Dr. Michael L. Tan, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP); and Dr. Zelda C. Zablan, retired professor and erstwhile director of the UP Population Institute.

Twenty-four French and Filipino writers and researchers have been invited to contribute original pieces for the scholarly book, entitled Philippines Contemporaines (Contemporary Contemporary Philippines Philippines).

The project is being spearheaded by the Institut de Recherche sul l’Asie du Sud-Est Contemporaine (IRASEC), a Bangkokbased French research institute dedicated to studying the political, social and environmental evolution in eleven countries in Asia.

With over 600 pages, the monograph was divided into six sections featuring articles on the Philippines’ colonial past, environmental and risk management, education, foreign relations, health and medicine, and a special chapter on Mindanao, among others.

Also among the contributors were

Photo from kssp.upd.edu.ph

By Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta

Kapampangan artist wins in London photo tilt

By Mariz Hernandez

A photographer and artist from Pampanga took his craft to greater heights when he bagged the third prize in the Sony World Photography Awards 2013 held in London last April 25.

Ruston Banal bested 44 entries from all over the world in the contest’s culture category.

Banal’s winning entry labeled “Ritual Dance of Kuraldal” depicted ritualistic merrymaking in Betis, Guagua, Pampanga marking a local feast that includes frenzied dancing and splashing water on people in the streets.

The tradition was said to be of preSpanish origin which over time blended into the religious rites of the area.

Banal’s photo was shown digitally as part of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition held at the Somerset House in London, April 26-May 12.

“This award is something that I offer to my hometown, as homage to its rich cultural heritage and tradition,” Banal said.

Banal is a Fine Arts graduate (magna cum laude) from the University of the Philippines Diliman, major in Art History and Minor in Painting.

After graduation, he went home to Betis in 2006 where he stayed for good on account of his passion for cultural advocacy.

Banal lectured in Art History and Theory at the De La Salle University (CSB Design Foundation), as well as at the University of the East College of Fine Arts and Ateneo de Manila University.

(Article and photo grab from http:// www.sunstar.com.ph, as re-posted in http://centralfocus.ixi.ph/2013/03/22/ renowned-kapampangan-artist-winslondon-based-photography-tilt/ )

10 U.P. News

april 2013

UP NIH gears up ... ◄PAGE 5

of the government in the areas of child health and human development, clinical epidemiology, health policy and development studies, herbal medicine, human genetics, molecular biology and biotechnology, ophthalmology, pharmaceutical sciences, and ear health.

Under the NIH are three centers pioneering in technologies essential to public health information and newborn screening. These are the National Telehealth Center, the Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center, and the Newborn Screening Reference Center.

As an academic institution, the facility also trains health research workers for deployment to other health institutions and agencies.

NIH studies have been used by the Department of Health (DOH) in its blindness prevention programs, establishment of eyerelated registries, and its policy on Hepatitis B immunization.

Cancer studies have led to the development and implementation of two population-based cancer registries in the Philippines, formulation of a DOH Cancer Control Program, and establishment of scientifically valid and locally relevant therapeutic approaches to the management of specific cancer types.

The NIH was credited for the successful commercialization of medicinal preparations of lagundi and sambong sambong; the development of diagnostic kits for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and dengue; and the development and initial roll-out of the Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS) in LGUs. NIH research-based prog ram r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s a d o p t e d by t h e DOH included oral rehydration for diarrhea, modification of the measles vaccination schedule, revisions of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s implementing rules and regulations, and enhancement of the implementation of the Philippine Drug Policy.

The NIH also provided expert advice in the drafting of the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, the Newborn Screening Act

of 2004 the Newborn Hearing Screening Act of 2008, and the National Objectives for Health 2000-2005, 2005-2010.

Researches conducted in support of DOH programs included the National Surveys on Blindness and Visual Disability; Intestinal Helminth Infections and Other Neglected Tropical Diseases in Pre-school and School Age Children, adolescent females, pregnant women, and indigenous peoples (IPs) in the Philippines; and the National Oral Health Survey.

UP, through the NIH, helped establish and model the institutional oversight of health research in the Research Ethics Board. This guarantees the rights, safety and well-being of human subjects as well as animals and the highest scientific standards in health research. The university has trained close to 2,000 health researchers and members of research ethics committees since 2005.

The Health Research and Development Act of 1998 (Republic Act 8503), further strengthened the mandate of the NIH and established it as a center for excellence for health research and development.

The NIH is thus one of the core agencies of the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS). At PNHRS, it interacts closely with key national agencies for facilitated dissemination and utilization of research results.

The NIH is also a key contributor of research to the PNHRS, a major source of technical experts, and an important venue for capacity building initiatives of the system.

The NIH pursues health research consistent with the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) which aims for Universal Health Care (UHC) or Kalusugan Pangkalahatan.

Consistent with the framework “partnerships for better health,” the NIH is the convener of the Metro Manila Health Research and Development Consortium (MMHRDC), providing opportunities for capacity building, research management and ethics, and research utilization among 25 health research institutions in the National Capital Region.

Dream Big. Now. ◄PAGE 6

as brilliant and talented at that time just like you, I was also prepared to work really hard, dealing with the multi-faceted practice of law, instead of dealing with just a very narrow, specialized field of Patent Law. I thought that Ponce Enrile was the place where I can train and experience broader fields of law. At that time, I thought I needed that more than comfort, luxury and a higher salary. Specialization can come later.

When now Senate President Johnny Ponce Enrile joined the Marcos administration in 1966, there was no associate lawyer in the Ponce Enrile law firm who could actively take over the tax cases and matters he was handling at that time. Since I had mastered the subjects of Taxation and Corporation Laws at Yale, the partners chose me to take over the work that Johnny left behind.

Looking back, I know I made the right choice. Barely a year and a half, I was made Junior Partner.

While my mother may have thought it was my charming personality that helped to get me promoted, the fact is that it was really a mix of very hard work and dreaming big.

It helped that I exerted extra effort to learn.

Although I already had my hands full with the tax cases and other assignments given to me, I still took the initiative to ask from and handle other cases of my co-associates, most of which we won in court.

From 450 pesos, my take home salary from Ponce Enrile jumped to 4,000 pesos a month, so much so that I was able to import a 2,000 dollar Mercury Cougar from the United States in 1969. Undeniably, my top of the line car earned me a few more so-called pogi points. But kidding aside, you can just imagine the hard work that had to be done before I could drive my dream car.

Much, much later, I established my own law firm together with a senior partner, Ike Belo, in the Ponce Enrile law firm.

Among our clients was a man named Bob Stewart, popularly known before as the Lucky 7 Club’s Uncle Bob. He, too, was a big dreamer, having operated a hole-in-thewall radio station which he evolved into a radio/TV broadcasting company.

Bob literally brought the business of television to me. When he needed to sell the shares of his fledgling broadcasting company, he looked to me as a buyer. To tell you the truth, I initially said no. But then, I finally decided to give it a shot.

We were then doing fine producing shows that gained patronage among certain audiences and getting by in terms of viewership ratings and revenues. Back then, GMA 7 was content in playing second fiddle to the industry leader.

But when I took the helm of the company in October of 2000, I dreamed big, in fact, bigger than anyone else at your

Forum-workshop on Asia’s ... ◄PAGE 4

Dr. Carolyn I. Sobritchea, Dean of the UP Asian Center, delivered the welcome address, saying many members of the UP family have become victims of government’s “misuse and abuse of civil liberties and human rights.” She appealed to her colleagues from the academe and civil society for continued vigilance in monitoring the law’s implementation, and in ensuring that critical engagement with all stakeholders were pursued in the most ethical, respectful and responsible manner.

The prog ram featured speeches, presentations, workshops, cultural presentations, and solidarity, awarenessraising and networking opportunities among the families of victims of enforced disappearance, organizing partners, speakers and participants.

Singer Cooky Chua and Bayang Barrios,

Triple Es for ... ◄PAGE 5

PUJ drivers are also required to undergo annual drug test.

Over the past two years, the OCR traffic management team, which is composed of six community development officers, has been developing its own transport module for UP drivers.

This year’s updated version of the module supplements 20 to 24 drivers

as well as the theater group of the Samahan ng Mga Anak ng Desaparecidos (SAD) or the Association of the Children of the Disappeared gave cultural performances.

RA 10353 otherwise known as “the first domestic anti-disappearance law in Asia, was a product of 16 years of a hard-fought struggle of human rights advocates and families of the disappeared.

The law was enacted on Dec. 21, 2012.

Asia submitted the highest number of cases of enforced disappearance to the UN. Ironically, Asia has the lowest rate of accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, has no strong regional protection mechanism, and, prior to RA 10353, had no domestic protection mechanisms in place.

attending the transport seminar from 10 in the morning to 12 noon from Mondays to Fridays until April 1, 2013.

The team has also partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the smoke emission testing of all PUJs and UP vehicles, which is held in April.

UPAA centennial ... ◄PAGE 1

the artists behind the portraits and the UPAA as an example of how UPAA supports the culture and the arts, while still supporting science and technology.

The oil portraits had been painted pro bono by members the College of Fine Arts Alumni Foundation, Inc. (CFAAFI), headed by Romeo SA Carlos as president.

The foundation holds painting sessions at the Bahay ng Alumni regularly.

“Through (the arts), people are able to express their feelings and oneness as a nation,” Pascual said.

He hopes to work with the UPAA in strengthening alumni support of UP till it reaches the level of alumni support of great universities of the world.

Incumbent UPAA President and Alumni Regent Ponciano Rivera Jr. said the portraits project represents UPAA’s unflagging resolve to continue the excellent work of past [UPAA] presidents and presents images of alumni role models.

Representing the honorees, former Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza

responded to the call for solidifying alumni support through such measures as better acknowledgment of alumni supporters, easier ways for donors to donate, appointment of a university official to handle and keep track of alumni support full-time, and active updating of alumni of college plans.

The unveiling was attended by other living past UPAA presidents: Lt. Gen. Jaime delos Santos (ret.), Ponciano GA Mathay, Atty. Gari Tiongco, and Atty. Gladys Tiongco, and their families.

The launch of the commemorative stamps was also headed by Pascual, together with Philippine Postal Corp. Chairman Cesar Sarino, at separate ceremonies at the Luciano Salazar Hall.

They also led the signing of the firstday cover.

The stamps’ designs were the result of a contest utilizing UP and UPAA symbols: the Bahay ng Alumni face, the Carillon, the Oblation, and the UPAA Centennial logo.

UPAA was founded on April 2, 1913.

Kapuso Network. I dreamed of making GMA 7 number 1 and rallied my team to work harder than ever before. The rest is history. Together, we have transformed GMA into the multi-media giant that it is today. And we are now Number 1!

In the book “Outliers’, author Malcolm Gladwell introduced the “10,000 hour rule” which suggests that it takes about 10,000 hours of hard work and practice to become an expert at anything. I think he is correct.

As a young lawyer, I invested more hours than most lawyers my age in the study of various fields of law. At GMA Network, we collectively invested a lot of precious manhours to get to where we are now. You can do the same and perhaps much more.

As part of UP Los Baños’s proud tradition of graduating the country’s best scientists, engineers and artists, among others, be reminded that your country needs you to do well—either as a professional or as an entrepreneur.

So that the future engineers and

scientists here present will be instrumental in building infrastructure to grow the country’s agriculture and business industry.

So that future policy-makers and public servants will ensure that farm-to-market roads and bridges are well-constructed and strategically located for food products to reach the consumer fresh and cheap.

So that the future doctors, agriculturists, foresters, artists, media personalities, and educators among you today will push reforms that will enhance the totality of the wellbeing of each and every Filipino.

Lastly, let me leave you with this gem from French Nobel Prize for Literature winner Jacques Thibault or Anatole France, and I quote, “To accomplish great things, we not only act but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”

So, carry on, dear graduates, the world is your playground now. Play well, play hard, play fair and of course, play smart.

Felipe L. Gozon is chairman of GMA Network.

april 2013

U.P. News 11

Living a life... ◄PAGE 8

Many a pundit has extolled the virtues of the middle class. The wealthy cannot be relied on to be always altruistic, while the poor are often powerless. It is, then, up to the middle class to grow the economy—and nurture a caring national community.

It is the middle class that promotes forward-looking public investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

It is the middle class that is associated with “more education, better health, better infrastructure, better economic policies, less political instability, less civil war and ethnic minorities at risk, more social modernization, and more democracy.”

It is from the ranks of the middle class that innovation, productivity, and entrepreneurship emerge; where values of investing in human capital and accumulating savings begin .

Above all, it is the middle class that promotes good governance and the efficient delivery of government services .

Aristotle himself noted “that the best political community is formed by citizens of the middle class.”

But, first, we must establish, who belongs to the middle class? Poverty and wealth are easier to define; what is not quite poor or rich is more ambiguous.

Most economists define ‘middle class’ statistically, based on either income or expenditure. Would you agree to be defined based on your capacity to spend, say, $2 to $20 a day ? Or is being middle class a matter of attitude, of identifying with a certain standard of living?

Our own statistical agency’s efforts to identify and define the middle class came only several years ago .

Who belongs to the Filipino middle class ?

• Those with an annual family income of from P282,000 to P2.296 million; • Families whose heads have a college degree; • Those who own a house and lot, though this is arguable ; • Those whose homes have strong roofing materials; and • Those who own an oven, an airconditioning unit, and a vehicle.

Based on this definition, would you count yourselves among the middle class?

Or would you rather be identified as belonging to the enlightened by virtue of your education in this revered institution?

The vanishing middle class

A definition is important, if only to sound an alarm—the Filipino middle class is vanishing.

During the past 30 years, inequality has been rising across the world. The new globalized, IT-driven world economy did narrow income gaps between countries— but it also widened income gaps within them.

The rich are getting richer; the poor are getting poorer; and the middle class is being tightly squeezed. This is palpable—even without the statistics.

The share in national income of the

richest 1 percent— in the United States, Britain, Germany, France, and even socialdemocratic Sweden—has been increasing since 1980 .

Did you know that there are 421 billionaires in the United States, whose combined net worth is equivalent to 10.5 percent of their country’s gross domestic product?

Indian billionaires account for about as much—10.9 percent of GDP—though they number much less—48 .

In stark contrast, American workers—if their wages were adjusted for inflation —would be earning less today than they did in 1970.

The wealth of our own 40 richest families last year grew by an amount equivalent to 76.5 percent of the growth in our GDP .

And there are very few of these wealthy families: they number less than 1 in every 100 of us.

Twenty in every hundred Filipino families are middle income, and 80 are poor . And every year the poor increase, because 3 in every 100 middle-income families slip back into poverty.

The absolute number of the middle class may seem enormous, especially in developing Asia—1.9 billion as of 2008.

But this number only serves to mask their vulnerability.

If you live just above the poverty threshold, a single stroke of fate—one accident, calamity, or crisis can send you falling through the cracks.

No wonder unrest has swept the world, for while ordinary people may have lost their jobs and their homes, unrestrained corporate greed has been bailed out. And it is the middle class that has been leading the protests, calling for change.

Entering the real world

I tell you these things not to dampen the celebratory mood you have every right to feel. However, I know your eyes are already open to the real world. You will not be deceived by facile encouragement.

I would like to believe UP graduates prefer a challenge to a pep talk. So I will not pass up this opportunity to pose one—or several challenges—to you.

You will be entering the real world at a critical time in our history.

In two years’ time, we will be part of an integrated ASEAN economic community with a market of 600 million people and a collective gross domestic product of nearly US$2 trillion.

This regional economy will be the ninth largest in the world—a force to reckon with in global political, economic, diplomatic, and cultural competition.

The ASEAN Economic Community will transform 10 individual nations into a single market and production base that promotes the free flow of goods, services, investment, capital, and labor.

Beginning 2015, Filipinos should find it easier to find work in Singapore or Malaysia.

But so will Indonesians and Vietnamese.

Hitting our country’s sweet spot

A Shared Triumph ◄PAGE 7

challenges. You will have to assume heavier responsibilities. You will have to support a family. You will have to find your place in the community. And again and again, you will have to decide who you are, and who you want to be.

Here is my second answer: Be a person who is never a grown-up, but one who keeps on growing. Become a person who values lifelong learning. Be a person whose aspirations go beyond the narrow confines of “self,” “family,” and “local community” but includes others, country, and humanity.

Be a person whose aspirations go beyond

the narrow confines of “self ”, “family”, and “local community” but includes others, country, and humanity. Be a person who sees beyond the short-term, but does what must be done here and now to create a future worth living for.

Be a person who embodies UP’s highest ideals—honor, excellence and service to the Filipino people. As mga iskolar ng bayan, you are called upon to serve in ways big and small.

As human beings, you must continue to grow, to learn and to become better.

Mabuhay, UP Class of 2013! Padayon, UP! Onward UP!

Coinciding with ASEAN integration is our country’s entry into its demographic window . From 2015 to 2050, we will have a proportionally larger working-age population— and fewer children and the elderly dependent on every working Filipino.

This is the demographic sweet spot, that could propel us toward unprecedented progress and wealth by raising individual incomes, government revenues, national savings, and capital investment.

If we capitalize on this demographic dividend, we will be able to finance our own growth from our people’s own savings, without having to levy new taxes or borrow from other nations’ savings. We can build schools and hospitals, roads and bridges from our own pockets—investments for the people, by the people.

However, this opportunity will not be unique to us. From now until 2070, various countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean will also enter their individual demographic windows. This is the developing world’s chance—our chance—to catch up with the developed nations.

Whether we indeed make that great leap forward—whether we indeed become more competitive in ASEAN and in the world—depends on whether we build and expand the likes of you, an enlightened middle class.

Reducing inequalities

The reality is we are neither created nor born equal. Some of us are lucky to be born into families that can afford private education and medical care; some are born into families that have no recourse but to depend on the public school and health systems.

Inequalities arising from circumstances over which we have no control have measurable impacts on our chances in life.

How much of our individual potential is lost because of inequality in life expectancy at birth? It is about 15.2 percent, according to the Human Development Report. From inequality in education, the loss is 13.5 percent; and from inequality in income, the loss is 30 percent.

A separate study suggests that a Filipino family’s economic status— more than any other factor—determines, over 90 percent of the time, whether a child gets fair access

to primary and secondary education.

Leveling the playing field of life

How then do we level the playing field?

—By promoting equal access to development opportunities for all, regardless of socioeconomic status.

—By equipping everyone with the opportunity to develop and to use his talents and skills productively.

—By fostering broad-based growth that will not only liftpeople from poverty, but—more important—give them lives of meaning and dignity.

Our middle class the force of change

In the end—as the ilustrados of our Revolutionary Period have shown—a strong middle class is our country’s greatest source of talent and potential.

A strong middle classis the backbone of civil society; the bulwark against democratic decay; and the motive power of our people’s progress.

A strong middle class is the voice of reason that moderates vested interests; the force of change that compels societies to invest in their own future.

But, does the middle class know who it is?

Those of our people who are neither rich nor poor will,undoubtedly, grow significantly in numbers in coming decades.

Whether these new ilustrados will be aware of their identity and conscious of their social role is an entirely different matter. And it willdepend on your leadership.

You hail from an institution of leaders and game-changers, with a proud tradition of excellence and service. You must be nothing less, achieve nothing less.

University of the Philippines [1] University of the Philippines EdAngara.com is the official website of Philippine Senator Edgardo J. Angara. © 2009 All Rights Reserved.

Source URL: http://www.edangara. com/content/living-life-purpose-senedgardo-j-angaras-commencement-speechdiliman-april-28-2013 Links: [ 1 ] h t t p : / / w w w. e d a n g a r a . c o m / taxonomy/term/19

Group bats for underwater sports dev’t

By Cheska D. Geli

The World Deep Expo tackled the developments in underwater sports in a forum April 17 at the Shangri-la Mactan Resorts and Spa. T h e Ph ilip p in e A s s o c i a t i o n o n Underwater Activities (PAUA) is batting for the full development of underwater sports by making it part of academic curricula.

PAUA president Benedict Reyes revealed their group is currently conducting representations with UP Diliman, which now offers fin-swimming and scuba diving as Physical Education (PE) subjects.

PAUA has been vigorously promoting underwater activities in the country. It is also spearheading marine conservation projects and sports tourism.

Among the underwater sports PAUA offers are aquathlon, underwater wrestling, underwater hockey, underwater rugby and fin-swimming.

The group was recently recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission.

Fin-swimming involves use of monofins

and bifins, either on the water surface or below, mainly using muscle strength. It is a sports discipline recognized by the World Underwater Federation.

Filipinos have already shown potentials to excel infinswimming, having already won one gold, one silver, and one bronze medals in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.

The team also won 14 golds in the 2011 Hong Kong Summer Competition, and two in the 16th Hong Kong International Finswimming long distance competition.

The Philippine Finswimming Federation Inc (PFFI) is a non-profit organization serving as the highest governing body in the discipline of fin-swimming in the country.

Meanwhile, Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD) executive director Karen Chan announced that four new hyperbaric chambers have been proposed for construction this year. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/ spor ts/2013/04/18/g roup-pushesunderwater-sports-philippines-278286

april 2013

Photos by Jose Wendell Capili, Misael Bacani, UP Cebu Office of the Dean, Jonathan Madrid, and Bong Arboleda.

12 U.P. News

UP confers degrees ... ◄PAGE 1

U.P. NEWS APRIL 2013

Commencement exercises. (Clockwise from top left) Drs. Christopher and Ma. Victoria Bernido receive a plaque from UP Manila Chancellor Manuel Agulto as commencement speakers (1) at ceremonies in PICC, Manila; Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo looks at the UP VisayasTacloban College audience, to whom he is commencement speaker, while accompanied by UP System and UPV officials on stage (2 ); Higher Education Commissioner and former Social Sciences and Philosophy Dean Cynthia Rose Bautista speaks before candidates for graduation (3), and UP System and UP Open University officials raise their arms while singing “UP Naming Mahal” (4), at ceremonies at the UPOU Headquarters in Los Baños; Prof.

Oscar Campomanes (5) and National Scientist Romulo Davide (6) attend rites at UP Baguio and UP Cebu, respectively, as commencement speakers; and UP Diliman candidates for graduation (7) sing the national anthem, as a UPD summa cum laude graduate (8) beams a smile on stage.

from its graduate programs.

In sum, UP undergraduate programs produced 7,681 graduates and its graduate programs, 1,624.

The undergraduates category had 18 summa cum laudes, 15 of them from UPD, one from UPLB, and two from UP Manila; 262 magna cum laudes, 218 from UPD, 15 from UPLB, 20 from UPM, three from UPMin, and two each from UPV, UPB, and UPC. There were 1,221 cum laudes, broken down as 812 of from UPD, 115 from UPLB, 145 from UPM, 71 from UPV, one from UPOU, 28 from UPB, 21 from

UPMin, and 28 from UPC. At UP Diliman, the commencement speaker was Sen. Edgardo Angara who spoke of the importance of the middle class in uplifting national economy and governance. He was conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

At UPLB, guest speaker GMA 7 president and chief executive officer Felipe Gozon encouraged the graduates to dream big so that they can accomplish great things.

For its part, UPM had the husband and wife team of 2010 Ramon Magsaysay

Awardees Christopher Bernido (PhD) and Ma. Victoria Bernido (PhD), both physicists, as commencement speakers who talked about capability building in health and the teaching of science subjects.

Christopher Bernido and Department of Science and Technology Secretary Mario G. Montejo were the guest speakers at the UPV commencement exercises in Miagao, Iloilo, and the UPV Tacloban College, respectively.

Former College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Dean Cynthia Rose Bautista, now Commissioner on Higher Education, was the guest speaker at UPOU.

Writer-critic Prof. Oscar Campomanes philosophized about commencement speeches in his remarks at the UPB rites.

After her investiture, UPMin Chancellor Sylvia Concepcion spoke to the UPMin graduates on the need to reinvent and discover one’s competitive edge to confront challenges.

At the UPC, national scientist-Magsaysay Awardee-and UPLB Professor Emeritus Romulo Davide spoke about exposure to greatness and passion for excellence as a foundation for greater achievements in life.

UPMin photo courtesy of UPMin-Office of the Chancellor

UPMin chancellor... ◄PAGE 1

U.P. NEWS J. PROSPERO E. DE VERA III Editor in Chief DANTE M. VELASCO Editorial Consultant JOSE WENDELL P. CAPILI Issue Editor JO. FLORENDO B. LONTOC Managing Editor JIMMY MONTEJO Copy Editor ARBEEN ACUÑA, STEPHANIE CABIGAO, FRED DABU, ANDRE ENCARNACION, CELESTE ANN CASTILLO LLANETA, JO. FLORENDO B. LONTOC, KIM QUILINGUING, ARLYN VCD P. ROMUALDO Writers BONG ARBOLEDA, MISAEL BACANI, JONATHAN MADRID Photographers OBET EUGENIO Editorial Assistant TOM MAGLAYA Circulation The U.P. NEWS is a monthly publication of the UP System Information Office, Office of the Vice-President for Public Affairs. We welcome contributions from the faculty, non-academic staff, REPS and students. Please send your contributions to: THE EDITOR U.P. News Mezzanine Floor, Quezon Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City 926-1572, 436-7537 e-mail: upnewsletter@up.edu.ph upsio@up.edu.ph

such as secretary of the College of Business Administration in UP Diliman, vice chancellor for administration of UPMin, and three deanships at the School of Management, also in UPMin. Apart from her doctorate degree in Sociology, the new UPMin chancellor also holds a Master’s degree in Business Management, both from the University of the Philippines. She also received Cer tificates in Market Access and Sustainable Development from the Wageningen International, Netherlands and in International Business and Transnational Corporations from the United Nations Centre for Transnational Corporations, Asian Institute of Management.

Concepcion likewise keeps an extensive list of local and international publications and paper presentations. Her works have been cited in several local and international publications.

She has been conferred awards and

recognitions as an educator and scholar, including the Agora National Award for Excellence in Marketing Education, Datu Award for Excellence in Marketing Education in Mindanao, UP System professorial chair.

UP System officials who attended the investiture ceremonies were vice presidents Gisela Concepcion (Academic Affairs), Lisa Grace Bersales (Planning and Finance), Elvira Zamora (Development), Maragtas V. Amante (Administration), Assistant Vice Presidents Christopher S.P. Espina, Jaime D.L. Caro, and UP secretary Lilian A. de las Llagas. Also present were former UPMin chancellors Dr. Rogelio Cuyno and Prof.

Ricardo de Ungria, as well as members of the UP Mindanao Foundation, UP Alumni Association Davao, UP Los Baños Alumni Association Davao, Davao Colleges and Universities Network (DACUN), and Mindanao Science and Technology Park Consortium.