UP Newsletter April 2011

Wired UP

UP Gazette online Past issues of the UP Gazette, official quarterly publication of the Office of the Secretary of the University (OSU), are available online as PDF files at h t t p : / / o ff i c e o f t h e s e c r e tary. w e b s . c o m / g a z e t t e . h t m .

Currently available are UP Gazette issues from 2005 to the first quarter of 2010.

University of the Philippines Community Newspaper VOLUME X X XII NUMBER 4

DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY

APRIL 2011

Read UP Newsletter online at http://www.up.edu.ph/upnewsletter.php

Ouster of UP Cebu dean demanded Left photo: Alya Simone Mongaya/NKE UPVCC; right photos: Jonathan Madrid

Top: Protesters call for the ouster of Avila on March 11. Right, top: VPA Maragtas Amante addresses the protesters during a consultation on March 11. Right, bottom: UP President Alfredo Pascual talks to officials of the All-UP Workers Union on March 17 after a noise barrage at Quezon Hall, UP Diliman.

A series of protest actions that started last March 1 is asking for the relief of UP Cebu College (UPCC) Dean Enrique Avila. Avila, along with Budget Officer Alsidry Sharif and consultant Ernesto Pineda, is facing a list of complaints including denying tenure to qualified faculty members and unjustly terminating UP personnel.

The protest actions by UPCC students, faculty and staff, held last March 1, 8 and 11, were sparked by the allegedly “unjust” termination of 15 security guards assigned to UPCC last February. Subsequently, a

number of other complaints against Avila, Sharif and Pineda emerged including the removal of student representation in UPCC’s executive committee, the highest policy-making body in the college.

In a statement to the UP Newsletter last March 17, Avila, citing the termination of the guards as “the root cause of, or the trigger of the resulting rallies,” said that his office never negotiated for the absorption of the 15 security guards from their old agency into the new agency that won the contract, as it was “not a common practice

in UP Cebu.”

“It is being insinuated widely that [my office], after allegedly allowing the past Fisher [Security Agency] guards to be absorbed and deployed by Café [Security and Investigating Agency] in UP Cebu, had caused them to be dropped from the roster at the last minute by Café without due process. This insinuation is baseless since the Office of the UP Cebu Dean did not cause the Fisher guards to be absorbed by the Café Security and Investigating (Continued on page 11)

Volcanic eruptions, weather patterns must be closely monitored – UP prof KIM QUILINGUING

Is there a relationship between volcanic eruptions and weather patterns?

Dr. Graciano Yumul said during a symposium last February at the PHIVOLCS auditorium, CP Garcia St., UP Diliman, Quezon City that there indeed is a close relationship between the two.

Aside from being a UP professor, Yumul is undersecretary for research and development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and officer-in-charge of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (PAG-ASA).

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, the University of the Philippines Center for International Studies (UP CIS), in coope(Continued on page 11)

UP Diliman Center for International Studies helps in giving words of encouragement to victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Admin looking into UP Cebu row—Pascual JO. FLORENDO B. LONTOC

UP President Alfredo Pascual met with protesters who gathered at the steps of Quezon Hall in UP Diliman (UPD) last March 17 to assure them that his administration is looking into complaints against the UP Cebu College (UPCC) administration.

The All-UP Workers Alliance and UP Kilos Na-Diliman held a lunchtime sympathy protest and noise barrage in solidarity with their counterparts in UPCC who were also staging a protest action at the same time. They were prompted by reports that the UPCC administration continues to harass those who are involved in protest actions calling for the ouster of Dean Enrique Avila.

The protest actions at UPCC, which started in early March, included a wholeday strike last March 8.

Pascual, together with Assistant VicePresident for Public Affairs Danilo Arao, met with the protesters at the Quezon Hall lobby to assure them that his administration is investigating the matter.

Among those who joined the sympathy lunchtime protest were Staff Regent Clodualdo Cabrera and former Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo, as well as union members and students.

The protesters spoke against the alleged harassment of staff and faculty and unfair labor practices by the current UPCC administration. The complaints included “barkadismo in appointments” involving an administrative officer and a consultant.

Pascual said that when news of the UPCC protests reached him early in March, he immediately sent Vice-President for Administration Maragtas Amante to Cebu to look into the complaints.

Pascual said he received Amante’s report last March 16. He also announced the receipt of the formal complaint filed by Prof. Lawlita Cabahug on the same day, a copy of which is now with Vice-President for Legal Affairs Danilo Concepcion.

(Continued on page 11)

I N S I D E

2

UP ITTC, JICA end 5-year HRD project

3

UP Diliman student claims gender discrimination

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Reproductive health forum draws RH bill supporters

9

Scholars recall 1971 Diliman Commune

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APRIL 2011

UP ITTC, JICA end 5-year HRD project BERNICE P. VARONA Jonathan Madrid

UP President Pascual presents a plaque of appreciation to JICA Chief Representative Norio Matsuda.

“This is the best time for the [ITTC].”

UP Information Technology Training Center (ITTC) Director Dr. Jaime Caro expressed that view during the closing ceremony for the Advanced IT Human Resource Development Project last March 7 at the Executive House in UP Diliman.

“We want to transform the UP ITTC into something more challenging, where we will work closely with the administration in developing information systems for the university,” Caro said. The event marks the end of the five-year project

between UP ITTC and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The university, represented by UP President Alfredo Pascual, Vice-President for Development Elvira Zamora, VicePresident for Public Affairs Prospero de Vera and Caro, presented JICA representatives with a plaque of appreciation for the assistance they extended to UP. JICA chief representative Norio Matsuda thanked UP ITTC for helping achieve the objective of the project which is to “fill in the gaps between social learning,

Sectors launch UP Kilos NaDiliman

school learning and the demand of the industry.”

Pascual, for his part, commended JICA for its unwavering support to the project and to the country in general. He said, “Since its creation, the UP ITTC achievement [has been] highly commendable. It has increased its reach, accessibility, and impact in the Philippine workforce.

We will use the UP ITTC in addressing the needs of our own university [and] in training our own staff. The sustained operation of UP ITTC in the coming years will make JICA even prouder of its achievement.”

The UP ITTC, the first IT training and services center in the Philippines to be ISO 9001:2008-certified, offers certificate programs in IT with specialization tracks in Information Technology; Applications Development; Embedded Systems; Network and Systems Administration; and Game Development. It conducted IT congresses targeted for high school and college students, IT practitioners and industry players.

The UP ITTC is currently working on an e-learning project and computer literacy program, both of which hope to expand the scope of IT-mediated learning activities in the country. (with a report from Ronn Andrew F. Angeles, UP ITTC)

KIM QUILINGUING

Selected units assess UP’s academic state KIM QUILINGUING Jonathan Madrid

More teachers, better facilities, more research grants.

Representatives from various units at UP Diliman and UP Manila raised these issues at the first in a series of roundtable and focus group discussions organized by the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) last February 26 at the Executive House.

Representatives from UP Diliman who participated were from the National Institute of Physics, Institute of Chemistry, Marine Science Institute, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Institute, Department of Computer Science and Department of Mining and Metallurgical Materials Engineering. Those from UP Manila, on the other hand, were from the College of Pharmacy and Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics.

The activity aimed to assess UP’s state of academic units, as well as identify challenges of their units and highlight accomplishments over the past few years.

Participants said that having more teachers will enable them to have smaller class sizes. This will then allow for more interaction between the students and the teacher.

Better facilities, according to them, will also ensure the student’s comprehension of the subjects taught and safety in course which require experimentation.

And in the continuous effort to better understand various phenomena, more funds for research in science and technology would be essential and enticing for the faculty, the participants said.

They also identified several reasons which resulted in the dropping out of students from their academic programs.

At the UPM College of Pharmacy, most of their students leave as soon as they are

Representatives from UPD Institute of Chemistry confer with each other during the focus group discussion.

able to find courses which would allow them to continue their stay at UP. In the case of the UPD Institute of Chemistry, around 10 percent move out to other fields in the hope of getting better grades.

At the UPD Institute of Physics, the students drop out due to health reasons.

Students at the UPD Department of Computer Science drop out mainly due to lack of motivation in their studies and possible lack of support from family and friends.

In the effort for greater internationalization, Dr. Gil Jacinto of the Marine Science Institute said that the university should strive to have more of its faculty produce research in various fields. He said that, if possible, the faculty should work not only to have their works published locally, but also be cited by international institutions and academics abroad. Another indicator of UP’s improvement in terms of internationalization is an increase in the number of foreign students.

Jacinto also said that the UP should

also look into the adoption of international standards in its administrative procedures, equipment and facilities.

Related to this, the participants stressed the need to streamline UP’s bureaucratic processes. Many of them cited the need to solve the slow processing of funds, purchase of equipment and even in the hiring of faculty, staff and members of the research and extension programs.

Many participants said that members of the local media should be informed of UP’s research and other academic activities. Student representatives present said that this would give the public an idea on what UP is doing for the people.

Toward the end of the activity, VPAA Gisela Concepcion-Padilla formed committees which would tackle the identified issues and concerns. According to her, the activity would be the first of many to assess the university’s academic state and the formulation of solutions to issues and concerns which have confronted many of the faculty, students and research and extension personnel.

To better address various issues within and outside the UP community, representatives from various sectors gathered last March 16 at the University Food Service Conference Room in Vinzons Hall to form a Diliman-based coalition.

According to Student Regent Jaque Eroles, UP Kilos Na (short for Kilusan para sa Demokratikong Pamantasan ng Bayan) started as an informal network of progressive organizations in UP in the days leading to President Benigno Aquino III’s first State of the Nation Address in July 2010.

Initially convened in a conference held last September, UP Kilos Na saw the need to have representatives from the university’s various sectors. In the succeeding months, Eroles said, UP Kilos Na was involved in the campaign against the cut in the budgets of state universities and colleges. The group also opposed the increases in the prices of fuel and basic commodities, as well as transportation fares.

After presentations on the national and UP situations by the All-UP Academic Employees Union’s Ramon Guillermo, University Student Council Chairperson Gem Garcia, UP Kilos Na convener Felix Parinas and the All-UP Workers Union’s Faye Araña, the group identified economic, social and political issues which need to be addressed.

Among those UP Kilos Na-Diliman chose as part of its initial campaign are opposing the oil price and fare hikes; seeking the immediate release of UP alumnus Ericson Acosta and other political detainees; supporting the peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front; defending the rights of untenured UP faculty and staff; and fighting discrimination.

UP Kilos Na-Diliman also launched task forces to immediately address more pressing issues and establish networks with other offices and organizations in the university. Task Force Leonard Co, which will investigate the case of the slain botanist and UP researcher is led by Dr. Giovanni Tapang; Task Force Budget Cut, by UP College of Mass Communication Dean Rolando Tolentino; and Task Force Disaster Response, by USC Chair Gem Garcia.

After its launch, UP Kilos Na-Diliman held a protest march from the Diliman campus to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PHILCOA) compound to protest the rising prices of oil, transportation fares and basic commodities.

APRIL 2011

U.P. Newsletter 3

Guidelines on women’s role in UP being finalized CAMILLE DELA ROSA

was led by Prof. Ma. Carolina Legarda, member of the College of Law Drafting Committee; Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, director of the UP Center for Women’s

Studies; and Dr. Anthony Geronimo Cordero, member of the President’s Committee on the Magna Carta of Women in UP and director of UP Manila Center for WoBong Arboleda

“Success in resolving gender issues will help in the development of UP and…the country,” UP President Alfredo Pascual declared during the discussion of the “Draft Guidelines on the Role of Women in UP” last March 17 at Palma Hall Annex, UP Diliman.

A Drafting Committee headed by Law Dean Marvic Leonen has prepared guidelines to implement the Magna Carta of Women. The draft was submitted to the Office of the President for approval last February 8. The guidelines will be implemented at UP as soon as it is revised and finalized by the committee in cooperation with the gender offices of the constituent universities.

Pascual recognized the importance of the document and agreed to approve the necessary budget for the committee.

The discussion of the draft guidelines

Draft Guidelines co-author Prof. Leo D. Battad (left) stresses a point during the March 17 discussion. Also in the picture are Dr. Thelma Kintanar and CSSP dean MIchael Tan.

men/Gender Studies. The Department of Psychology co-sponsored the event.

The discussion coincided with the centennial of International Women’s Month.

The UP Center for Women’s Studies held a weeklong series of forums and information campaigns to commemorate the occasion.

The accomplishments of Filipino women were also recognized. Last March 16, the UP Film Institute conferred the Diwata Award on Armida Siguion-Reyna for her achievements as producer and actor.

The day after (March 17), cocktails were held in honor of Dr. Rosario Asong, Prof. Florenda Española and Dr. Madrilena dela Cerna whose work in gender advocacy and social transformation has helped improve the condition of Filipino women.

UP Diliman What I learned as a Gurong Pahinungod volunteer student What I learned from living with the The Gurong Pahinungod (GP) pro- and fourth-year high school students and gram is one of the centerpiece programs each year level had only one section of people of Saclag is their outstanding claims gender of the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod. Through less than 20 students. But the school is small capacity to endure. They did not complain program, alumni volunteers are de- not only in population. It is also small in about the road. They did not complain discrimination this ployed to underserved public high schools resources. It does not have a laboratory about not having any classroom. They SARIFAH A. ARTIFICIO

BERNICE P. VARONA Hender Gercio

Hender Gercio

A UP Diliman European Languages (EL) major and declared transsexual has accused a professor of gender discrimination.

EL student Hender Gercio said, “I am angered by the unnerving tolerance of university officials of transphobia/homophobia, allowing bigotry to flourish under the guise of religious freedom, depriving LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual] students of their human rights in the process.”

Gercio also expressed “horror” that “the absence of regulations that ensure the safety and well-being of LGBT students in Philippine schools…[will continue to make us] moving targets of bullying, harassment and violence.”

Gercio gave this reaction upon learning of the decision of Prof. Wystan de la Peña, chairperson of the Department of Euro(Continued on page 5)

throughout the country where they serve as faculty members for one year.

By “underserved public high schools,” I am not referring to schools proximate to the University. I refer instead to those in the countryside, in the remote areas of Romblon, Mindoro, Apayao, Albay and many others. So when you become a Gurong Pahinungod for one year, you don’t go to school during the day and return to the comfort of your home afterwards.

You don’t just become a volunteer but also a member of the community, participating in their daily routines, living in their homes, eating their food, listening to their stories, dancing their dances, singing their songs and, yes, sharing their burdens.

What I have learned from my experience as a Pahinungod volunteer is enough to last me a lifetime. I was assigned to Saclag Ecological School in San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro. It is around an-hourand-a-half ride from Calapan City, the capital of Mindoro. From the town proper, one has to take a tricycle up to the mountain. It means an-hour-and-a-half ride through rugged terrain. In certain portions of the road, the terrain is so bad that tricycles cannot pass through with any load so passengers have to get off first, walk through rutted portions of the road, and mount the vehicle again when the road becomes more passable.

Looking at the condition of the road, you’d probably think the government deliberately does not want anybody to get to San Teodoro and discover it exists.

Saclag Ecological School was originally established for Mangyan school children. However, the Mangyans saw very little reason to send their children to school. They would rather have their children tend the farm rather than stay in school, believing that they would end up farming anyway. So more than half of the students in Saclag were “Tagalog,” which is how non-Mangyan residents of San Teodoro were referred to.

It is a small school. I handled third

or, for that matter, a single microscope.

In fact, it has no classroom, or at least none in the traditional definition of a “room”. It only has a few halls, four posts and a roof.

The school also does not have any chair for the students so each student has to bring his or her own. Some students even share seats.

But it is also in the smallness of San Teodoro that I found magnitude. It was where I found myself. When I joined the GP program, I was prepared for physical and psychological challenges. I knew what I was getting into, so I was more than ready to temporarily leave a life of convenience.

My partner, Lucil Ortiz, and I did not have television or radio in Saclag. So we learned the soothing effects of silence and a pitch-black horizon. We learned to kill time watching fireflies at night or observing frogs that had the uncanny ability of hanging onto walls. We even learned to laugh upon seeing a meter-long snake sniffing our underwear.

In this serene mountain side, I learned to appreciate simplicity and to persist despite the unexpected.

One such experience would push me way beyond my comfort zone. You see, I am not fond of rivers, streams or seas or anything that can darken skin. Call it vanity, but I hoped and prayed that we would have few encounters with bodies of water.

Unfortunately, that was the one thing we had plenty of. When we got there, the village reservoir had dried up, so we were forced to wash our clothes and to bathe in the river. This is the same river where the carabao bathe. I anticipated having to bathe in someone else’s bathroom or backyard, but I never imagined I would have to take daily baths in a river. When you spend your nights with frogs hanging on your walls or snakes sniffing your underwear, when you spend that much time communing with animals, I think you can claim confidence in your own resilience and pride in your accomplishment. When you bathe with the residents’ carabaos, I think you can truly say you have learned to live with the community.

did not complain that they were not given chairs or books. They did not complain that they were underserved.

They did not complain because it was pointless.

It did not take me too long to see that their not complaining was not so much a reflection of their capacity to endure but a manifestation of their dampened spirit. They did not see the point of roads probably because they did not have tricycles or cars or vehicles in the first place. They had carabaos and horses which were good enough for the rugged terrain. They did not see the point in schooling since their children would end up in farms anyway. I saw in the belly of poverty a part of it that I had not read in books or seen in documentaries or learned in the classroom.

Poverty is so violent a condition it justifies itself in the minds of its victims.

What did I learn from being a Gurong Pahinungod?

It taught me the violent reality of poverty and consequently changed my concept and faith in development. It taught me patience and humility. It taught me anger that the government has almost forgotten that such a place exists. It taught me the hypocrisy of globalization and modernization: that while sprawling cityschools exist with an excess of air-conditioned rooms, there are children studying in places without walls. It taught me to be ashamed that we complain about small things while there are students who have to bring their chairs every day so that they could study. It taught me to persevere and make the best of my blessings and advantages.

In the end, however, these lessons may not be as inspiring as they should be. We really have to go out there and serve to be truly inspired and motivated. Ironically, it was in a place where classrooms had no walls that I realized the need to go beyond the walls of our classrooms to be truly educated.

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Pascual notes achievements in engineering R&D CELESTE ANN CASTILLO LLANETA

What has UP’s Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) program accomplished in the past three years?

UP President Alfredo Pascual said that since its full implementation in 2008, the ERDT program has resulted in the graduation of 73 MS Engineering students and one PhD student, as well as the awarding of 464 MS scholarships and 88 PhD scholarships.

In his opening remarks at the 6th ERDT Conference last February 18 at the Diamond Hotel in Manila, Pascual said that “a number of ERDT graduates are now pursuing technology business startups. In fact, two of them have set up their own companies as the DOST-UP Enterprise Program for Technopreneurship …Other ERDT graduates are gainfully employed as development engineers in technology-based industries.”

To keep ERDT graduates from leaving the country for greener pastures abroad, Pascual reiterated his vision to strengthen UP’s research capabilities in partnership with government and industry

to provide scientists and engineers “the opportunities to put their expertise to work, and to work productively.”

In keeping with its theme “Addressing the Grand Challenges through Engineering Innovations,” the keynote speeches in the 6th ERDT Conference focused on three of the challenges ERDT scholars must face.

These are the lack of science and technology research education in the country, which contributes to our slow economic development and low level of global competitiveness; translating engineering research and technological innovation into viable economic ventures through technological entrepreneurship; and the broad fields open to innovation in all its forms.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo said that The Global Competitiveness Report 20102011 of the World Economic Forum ranked the Philippines 16th out of 22 Asian countries, and 85th out of 139 countries in the world in terms of global competitiveness.

He said the Philippines ranked 96th in

mass transit system; a pilot lab for improved mining of gold, copper, nickel and iron, and the exploration of a process that can extract gold from the mercury tailings produced by gold-mining. “These are the S&T initiatives that the whole Cabinet [of President Aquino] would fully support, because these are centered on (1) creating jobs, (2) creating economic activity for S&T initiatives, and (3) it is exactly the mandate of the DOST.” He added that the DOST will support the ERDT in the years to come.

Tapping into his more than 30 years of experience as a successful design engineer, entrepreneur, CEO and venture capitalist in Silicon Valley, Dr. Diosdado Banatao, founder and managing partner of Tallwood Venture and one of the UP College of Engineering’s most generous donors for research engineering, gave a detailed talk on setting up a successful startup venture. To start a technology company, he said that one should have a better solution to a design or technology problem.

According to him, the five major start-

terms of technological readiness, 111th for innovation, 88th for foreign direct investments and technology transfers, 108th for quality of scientific research institutions and 96th in terms of availability of scientists and engineers.

Montejo said that given “the great talent and creativity of the Filipino…we can change things for the better soon.” The ERDT is the means to accomplish this, he said, by continuing to build a critical mass of research scientists and engineers (RSEs) and to conduct quality research and development (R&D) work on disaster mitigation, poverty alleviation, agriculture, semiconductors, and environment and energy “with the end of making the lives of Filipinos better.”

He also cited the numerous projects the DOST is working on or supporting, including improved weather forecasting that enables hourly weather updates; a realtime disaster warning system for landslides; a locally-developed Doppler radar; a PC tablet to be used as an educational module in support of learning for elementary students; a locally-developed, locally-sourced

(Continued on page 11)

Reproductive health forum draws RH bill supporters Defensor-Santiago explains support for RH bill

JO. FLORENDO B. LONTOC

Support for the reproductive health (RH) bill was evident during a forum organized by the University Health Service (UHS) of UP Diliman (UPD), the UPD Gender Office (UPDGO) and the Gabriela Women’s Party last March 18.

All participants, including some members of the audience who asked questions and made comments during the open forum, expressed no objection to a measure they apparently perceive as helpful in protecting women’s and children’s health.

Dr. Claro Baluis, director of UHS, said that UHS fora are meant to give balanced information on health-related issues. He said that the March 18 “Comprehensive Reproductive Health Bill Action Forum” was able to attract participants from various sectors of the UP community.

The resource speakers were Gertrudes Ranjo-Libang, deputy secretary-general of Gabriela and Rep. Emerenciana de Jesus of Gabriela Women’s Party. Libang pre-

sented the state of reproductive health in the Philippines, highlighting the gap between the health conditions of the poorest and the richest and between the current health situations and the targets of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly those that involve maternal and infant mortality rates. De Jesus, on the other hand, gave updates on the status of the RH bill in the House of Representatives.

Among those who participated were Shirley Cabrera of the All-UP Workers Union, Prof. Mykel Andrada of the AllUP Academic Employees Union, Dr. Jesusa Catabui of the UHS Gender Focal System, UPD Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs Elizabeth Enriquez and UPD College of Home Economics Dean Adelaida Villaraza-Mayo. UPDGO Coordinator Ma. Corazon Jimenez-Tan gave the synthesis and closing remarks.

As a doctor, Catabui wondered why there are claims that those supporting the

RH bill are anti-life as she saw the bill as protecting the quality of life. But she said she welcomes continuing debate and investigation on claims that some artificial contraceptives are abortifacients. She also called for mandatory sex education, with emphasis on ensuring its quality.

Enriquez said the issue of health should not be forgotten in the middle of protests against the RH bill. For her part, VillarazaMayo expressed solidarity with the supporters of the RH bill as a woman who deals with RH on a personal basis and as an educator.

Andrada, stressed that many supporters of the bill have a grassroots background.

He also said that the bill, being pro-life and pro-rights, is in line with the religious tenet of preferential option for the poor.

Jimenez-Tan said that fora on the RH bill will help keep citizens vigilant as the proposed law undergoes amendments during deliberations in Congress.

Bong Arboleda

GABRIELA Deputy Secretary-General Gertrudes Ranjo-Libang and GABRIELA Women’s Party Rep. Emerenciana de Jesus speak at the March 18 forum.

“Any thinking person will want women to be able to choose if [and] when to get pregnant; to have safe pregnancies and childbirth.”

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago made this point clear during a discussion of the proposed Reproductive Health (RH) bill at the Iloilo City campus of UP Visayas last March 4.

According to Santiago, poor women and adolescent girls, as well as women in rural and indigenous people’s areas, are affected most by the delayed passage of the RH bill. She said that unlike women in the middle and upper classes who can afford to pay for contraceptives and other reproductive health care services, these women are most at risk of unplanned pregnancies.

More often than not, she said that they go through childbirth unattended by trained health professionals. This situation, she stressed, increases the risk to their lives.

“Adolescent girls need to be able to finish their education and have careers without having to deal with adolescent pregnancies. Women need to be empowered to say no to sex, and to say no to sex without [contraceptives]. Reproductive tract infections and cancers should be properly addressed,” Santiago said.

She added that on the average 11 Filipino women die every day due to conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and that 230 Filipino women die for every 100,000 live births. She said that these alarming statistics that should be enough reason to pass the RH Bill.

She said that it is necessary to enough government funding so that women can have access to reproductive health care information and services.

The UP Visayas Gender and Development Office and Ugsad Regional Gender Resource Center of Western Visayas organized the forum as part of the celebration of International Women’s Day last March 8. (Anna Razel L. Ramirez)

APRIL 2011

U.P. Newsletter 5

UP CMC pays tribute to outstanding students, faculty, staff BERNICE P. VARONA Bong Arboleda

UP Diliman student claims gender discrimination (Continued from page 3)

CMC Dean Roland Tolentino (extreme right) and OIC-College Secretary Violeda Umali (extreme left) pose with the student awardees after the program.

The UP College of Mass Communication paid tribute to its outstanding students, faculty and staff last March 4 at the CMC auditorium.

Called the “Pagkilala sa mga Natatanging Fakulti, Kawani, at Mag-aaral,” the activity was part of the celebration of the college’s 46th anniversary.

CMC Dean Roland Tolentino thanked the awardees for their service and outstanding contribution. The awards given were the Gawad Mag-aaral for students, Gawad Fakulti for faculty members Gawad Serbisyo for faculty and staff and the Natatanging Kawani for two outstanding staff.

The recipients of the Gawad Mag-aaral were students recognized for their exemplary work and achievements. They were Melanie Adan, Ara Aguilar, Joy Bernadette Aquino, Alisa Baleva, Billie Bautista, Pete Malaya Camporedondo, Monica Joy Cantilero, Bianca Catbagan, Dale De Jesus,

Jono De Rivera, Emmanuel Dela Cruz, Franz Jonathan Dela Fuente, Archie Dimaculangan, Jedd Brian Hernandez, the organization Himig Maskom, Aiza Idanan, Luigina Marie Jose, Christine Marie Laungayan, Jason Paul Laxamana, Lindo Lindo, John Francis Losaria, Carlo Francisco Manatad, Ingrid Maravilla, Shielo Mendoza, Karen Mesina, Alfred Panes, Loren Jane Rabadam, Cheska Ramos, Eloisa Recio, Gerlene Reyes, Abigail Robles, Juan Miguel Roy, Jestine Mari Sanchez, Allen Pachino Testado, Princess Ubongen, and the UP Communication Research Society.

Recipients of the Gawad Fakulti were Grace Alfonso, Danilo Arao, Fernando Austria Jr., Yvonne Chua, Georgina Encanto, Rosa Maria Feliciano, Aleth Gayosa, Eulalio Guieb III, Rachel Khan, Joanna Eunice Parungao, Elena Pernia, Ma. Cristina Rara, Lourdes Simbulan, Arminda Santiago and Nicanor Tiongson. They

were recognized for their achievements and notable works.

The Gawad Serbisyo, which was given to both faculty and staff who have served the college for five years and above (in increments of five) were given to Grace Alfonso, Danilo Arao, Yason Bernal, Patrick Campos, Yvonne Chua, Clarissa David, Shirley Evidente, Marichu Lambino, Perlita Manalili and Violeda Umali.

The staff who received this award were Irene Balucos, Dolores Basilan, Norma Dampil, Fernando Manalo, Aaron Alexander Noel, Luis Olid Jr., Edward Sanchez, Ruben Serrano, Jamela Tolentino and Gina Villegas. They were given a cash prize of P5,000 each.

The Natatanging Kawani, meanwhile, was given to Virginia Rigo and Berinice Zamora in recognition of their exemplary work in the college. They both received a cash prize of P10,000 and a certificate of recognition.

Rizal sesquicentenary countdown marked by flash mob Jonathan Madrid

A “flash mob”—an activity performed unannounced by a group of people in a public place, in this case, a dance— marked the beginning of UP’s 100-day countdown to Dr. Jose Rizal’s 150th birthday.

Led by the UP Diliman College of Arts and Letters (CAL), the flash mob, which lasted for about 10 minutes was held at the Palma Hall lobby.

Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary is on June 19.

As lines were read from Rizal’s El Filibusterismo, particularly Padre Florentino’s exhortation to the youth, CAL students with bamboo poles demonstrated in dance the difficulties of the national struggle for independence.

The flash mob was inspired by recent indications of the need to continue the stuggle for independence and good governance. Through activities like this, the university hopes to “bolster one’s sense of nationalistic pride in a time of continuous corruption and social upheaval,” according to CAL. The event was attended by descendants of Rizal’s sisters Saturnina, Olympia, and Maria; as well as by UP officials and members of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. “Kalendaryo’t Kalatas: Kalendaryong Rizal 2011,” a Rizal-

themed calendar, was also unveiled during the launch.

The 2011 Jose Rizal Sesquicentenary Celebration was launched last December 26 with the theme “Diwang Bayan: Wer n U? Paghahanap sa Diwa ni Rizal sa Kasalukuyan.”

Other events planned in celebration of UP’s Rizal Sesquicentenary Celebration include a parade on Rizal’s date of birth

called “Lakaran” which aims to honor incampus artworks dedicated to Rizal and his legacy, a photo exhibit of Rizal monuments in the country and abroad from April to June 2011, an international conference titled “Rizal in the 21st Century: Local and Global Perspectives,” an essay-writing contest and a staging of Felipe Padilla de Leon and Guillermo Tolentino’s opera Noli Me Tangere in November.

pean Languages, College of Arts and Letters (CAL) on the complaint Gercio filed.

The subject of the complaint was EL Instructor Dominique Del Corro, Gercio’s professor in several EL courses. In a private meeting with Gercio last February 2, Del Corro was quoted as saying that she did not feel comfortable addressing Gercio as a female in class due to her religious beliefs.

An arbitration meeting was then scheduled with Gercio, Del Corro and de la Peña last February 18. Prior to the meeting, de la Peña consulted the Diliman Legal Office (DLO) for advice. “[The opinion of the DLO is that] Del Corro could not be compelled. I [also asked the Diliman Gender Office] if there was a university policy applicable here. I was told there was none. [This is] why the issue of mutual respect came about to serve as a guiding principle in [handling] the situation,” De la Peña said.

As a result, Gercio wrote a letter last March 8 to CAL Dean Flora Elena Mirano to appeal de la Peña’s decision.

Gercio said that the request for an official written decision with justifications is not yet submitted. Gercio expressed hope that Mirano would “interpret the matter differently and would consider [the] arguments toward having [the preferred] gender identity recognized inside the classroom.”

“Del Corro could be found in violation of some of the articles of the ‘Code of Ethics for Faculty Members’ in the UP Diliman Faculty Manual,” Gercio said.

One section states that members of the faculty should “promote a strong sense of nationalism and enduring concern for social justice, gender equality, cultural values, community welfare, and protection of the environment.”

“In judging my female gender identity as `invalid’ just because I am transgender, [Del Corro] definitely does not promote gender equality (between transgender and non-transgender females) either,” Gercio said.

For his part, de la Peña said that Gercio’s identity is not being judged as invalid. He cited as an example Gercio’s written work in class where the use of feminine grammatical references as Gercio’s preferred gender was not marked as errors by Del Corro. “At the DLO, the lawyers indicated that this was respect for Gercio’s choice of gender identity,” de la Peña said.

Gercio said that if there is no response from the dean’s office, the issue will be elevated to the Office of Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs.

For her part, Del Corro was quoted in the Philippine Collegian (March 17 issue) as saying that she does not want to comment on the issue because Gercio is still her student. She will reportedly only do so when the semester is over and the grades of her students submitted.

6 U.P. Newslett er

APRIL 2011

Filipino, Iranian scholars analyze works of Balagtas, Hafez CELESTE ANN CASTILLO LLANETA Bong Arboleda

Dr. Mohammad Ali Savad and National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera

Two scholars analyzed the works of Francisco Balagtas of the Philippines and Khwa-ja Šamsu d-Di-n Muhammad Hafez-e Ši-ra-z (known by his pen name Hafez) of Iran at a symposium held last February 22 at Recto Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

For hundreds of years, Balagtas and Hafez have had an impact on the histories and cultures of their respective countries.

Balagtas gave voice to the aspirations of a colonized people for freedom and the realization of their own sovereign state while Hafez expounded on the highest forms of love and faith and the mystical experience of Islam.

In his lecture on “Balagtas as National Poet,” National Artist and UPD College of Arts and Letters Professor Emeritus Bienvenido Lumbera said, “This is a curious title because in the 19th century, there was no Philippine state at the time.

However, given the context of his poetry and how his poems affected audiences during his time, it is not a problem to call him a national poet, because his poetry, particularly Florante at Laura, describes Albania—the setting of the poem—as ‘ang

bayan kong sawi’.”

Lumbera said that since Balagtas’ audience was primarily a listening audience and only a few people knew how to read at that time, the interpretation was left to the listeners. With the reference to “ang bayan kong sawi”, and the passages concerning treachery, political ambition and the imprisonment of thought in Florante at Laura, the educated Filipinos of the time introduced the political interpretation of Balagtas’ language. These Filipinos included Jose Rizal and Apolinario Mabini. Up to now, Lumbera said that Florante at Laura continues to be regarded as an epic of patriotism.

Dr. Mohammad Ali Savad, member of the Faculty of Islamic Systems of the Research Institute for Islamic Culture and Thought in Tehran, Iran and a research deputy at the Al Mustafa International College in Manila, spoke on “Knowing Human Beings through Hafez.”

The latter was a Persian lyric poet who lived in the 14th century. His collection of works titled Divan remains a favorite of the Iranian people and has influenced numerous poets and writers from other cultures, including German poet Johann

Wolfgang von Goethe.

According to one story, Hafez, who worked at a bakery, had been delivering bread when he first saw Shakh-e Nabat, a woman of great beauty, to whom some of his poems are addressed. He allegedly held his first mystic vigil in his desire to realize this union, and during this encountered an angel, which led to his pursuit of the mystical and spiritual union with the divine.

“The study of Hafez is essential for every learned person who is interested in mysticism,” Savad said. “It is especially essential for those scholars who are interested in the study of Islamic mysticism.”

In addition to the lectures of Lumbera and Savad, the symposium also featured a performance by The Bistum Ensemble of Iran and a film showing on “The Islamic Republic of Iran at a Glance.”

The symposium was organized by the Cultural Section Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in celebration of the 32nd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution of Iran. It was also held in cooperation with Likhaan: UP Institute of Creative Writing.

Misael Bacani

Music professors deliver professorial chair lectures Profs. Jocelyn Timbol-Guadalupe, Ma. Patricia Brillantes-Silvestre and Katherine Frances Molina delivered their professorial chair lectures at the UP Diliman College of Music Mini Hall last March 17. Timbol-Guadalupe’s paper was on “Chronicling the Celso Espejo Rondalla Method,” an analysis of selected pedagogical principles and approaches of the Espejo Rondalla Method. Brillantes-Silvestre discussed “Los Periodicos de Manila: Music Reportage in the Nineteenth Century.” Molina, on the other hand, analyzed “The McClosky Voice Technique…Where Science Meets Art” which posits that the McClosky Voice Technique is the key to maintaining and restoring vocal health for speakers and singers of all styles.

Book on UP alumnus Jose Maria Sison launched The life and legacy of one of the most influential figures in Philippine history who studied and taught at UP Diliman was celebrated through a book launch last February 22 at Balay Kalinaw, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

Published by Aklat ng Bayan, the book Joma Ma. Sison: A Celebration is a collection of essays on Jose Ma. Sison from a variety of perspectives and generations. It details many facets of his life, particularly his work within the Communist Party of the Philippines which he founded.

Many of the distinguished contributors, including National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, UP Professor Emeritus Elmer Ordoñez and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino shared their memories of Sison and how his legacy continues to inspire For his part, Prof. Luis Teodoro, former dean of the UP College of Mass Communication called Sison a “teacher in the most profound sense.”

Lumbera, whose essay “Beyond Autobiography” and poem “Dalit” are featured in the book, commented not only on Sison’s merits as a poet, but how his efforts helped redefine what it meant to be an intellectual in the Philippines.

Lumbera said that before the time of Sison, to be an intellectual was to be one of the “idle rich,” like Pedro Paterno who was distinctly separate from the masses.

Though well-versed in topics of culture and aesthetics, Lumbera said that these individuals never sought to bring reality to their ideas. The arrival of Sison, he said, radically redefined what it meant to be an intellectual by his attempt to put his ideas in the service of society. He credited Sison for giving substance to intellectualism in the Philippines by not only speaking of art and culture, but adding a political dimension to it as well.

Ordoñez, who contributed “The Trials of Jose Maria Sison” and “The Legacy of Mao and Sison to the People’s Movement” to the collection, explained how he witnessed the intellectual and political development of Sison from the time they met at the UP Department of English in the 1950s where Sison was a teaching fellow. It was in the department, according to Ordoñez, that Sison encountered religious sectarians who, because of his outspoken and radical views, gradually eased him out.

Ordoñez said that Sison discovered the Marxist classics in the UP Library which was at that time located mostly at the Main Library’s basement. In the 1960s, Sison went to Indonesia and encountered the communist party of that country. It was there that he had a comprehensive understanding of Maoist literature and how its emphasis on transforming semi-feudal, semi-colonial states could apply to the Philippines.

Sison established the Communist Party of the Philippines in 1968 after a falling (Continued on page 12)

APRIL 2011

U.P. Newsletter 7

Information overload risky – Philo prof CELESTE ANN CASTILLO LLANETA

ple are being manipulated or deceived. He said that having reliable information costs a lot in terms of time, energy, opportunity and perhaps even danger, citing as an example the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

This investment is needed to know what is true, “especially in an era when posturing, putting a spin, packaging and slanting the truth have become common ways of dealing with information.” Lee noted the grave ethical issues brought about by the flood of information. These issues are trust and trustworthiness; truth and truthfulness; lying and deceit; and sincerity and accuracy. Questions of copyright, plagiarism and censorship are covered by these greater ethical issues, not to mention the generation of new knowledge, not just information.

Lee said that there is a need to be truthful to ourselves so that we do not make wrong judgments and we avoid deceiving or deluding ourselves. Being truthful to others, in turn, makes us trustworthy and reliable. People must use methods of inquiry that are truth-acquiring, must actually want to find out the truth, and must ask for facts, proof, evidence, argumentation, justification or valid reasons behind the conclusions and assertions being made, not just opinions, blind assertions or worse, gossip.

“We need to go back to the old virtues that we thought were diminished or devalued by our political culture,” Lee said.

“We raise ourselves up when we turn to truth-telling and the courage to stand by what is true, and to feel fear when we are lying or are deceitful. Our political institutions...have been weakened because the virtues that are the foundations of these institutions have ceased to be [the] practice.”

He cited the need for a shared enterprise to discover the kind of truth that can lead to appropriate judgments, which in turn translate to collective thinking and mass action, as well as the strengthening of bonds among fellow citizens. To strengthen the sense of the value of truth in the academic practice, he stressed the need for people to insist on standards for valid and reliable information; to acknowledge sources of information; and to increase the supply of free, available and credible information.

This year’s memorial lecture was organized by the UP School of Library and Information Studies (UPSLIS) in cooperation with the UP Library Science Alumni Association. The theme was “Information Ethics: Copyright, Plagiarism and Censorship.”

The memorial lecture series is held annually in honor of the late Prof. Gabriel

UPSIO File Photo

Developments in information technology (IT) give people immediate and interactive access to information. IT also serves as a panopticon or “all-seeing eye” into current social, political and economic events around the world.

However, Philosophy Prof. Zosimo Lee said that the flood of unprocessed information also involves certain risks. Lee was guest lecturer at the 32nd Gabriel A. Bernardo Memorial Lecture Series last March 14 at the Conference Hall, Balay Kalinaw, UP Diliman.

“With so much information available and constant action generated by information, we are not clear whether we are being deceived or manipulated. We are mainly trusting...that the information generated and the exchanges we participate in are accurate and trustworthy, and our interlocutors sincere and credible,” Lee said.

Lee, former dean of the UP Diliman College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, said that truthfulness is closely related to the information revolution. “We need to look deeper into moral dilemmas [such as]: Do we have a sense of the value of truth? The question of truth and truthfulness is a vast and complex matter, but it needs to be confronted.”

He stressed the need for “investigative investment” to know whether or not peo-

Prof. Zosimo Lee

A. Bernardo, the doyen of Philippine Librarianship who devoted his life to the development of librarianship and the training of hundreds of Filipino librarians.

The Memorial Lecture Series is held during the birthday week of Bernardo who was born March 14, 1891 and died on December 5, 1962.

Palawan artifacts on display BERNICE P. VARONA Jonathan Madrid

UPV photo exhibit marks women’s month ANNA RAZEL L. RAMIREZ

Dr. Victor Paz (left) gives details on one of the displays to UP President Alfredo Pascual.

For the first time since the start of the Palawan Island Paleohistory Research Project in 1998, materials excavated from some of the sites were put on display last March 18 and 19 at the GTToyota Building in UP Diliman The materials include artifacts like beads, ceramics, shell tools, human bones and bracelets which were grouped according to two major themes. These were Biodiversity, Subsistence and Exchange; and Cosmology, Art and Design. An explanation and analysis of the sites in Palawan

were also shown.

Dr. Victor Paz, director of the UP Archaeological Studies Program, said, “The project is basic in its attempt to generate new information about our past, the history of the Philippines, Southeast Asia and perhaps the world. We hope that from this short experience we’ve prepared, the audience can see that we have a very rich past.”

The project is an ongoing collaborative research and excavation work with several sites in El Nido, Palawan. It aims to know more about the Philippine’s past through

the study of past landscapes and the material culture left behind. Among UP ASP’s partners in this project are the National Museum and archaeologists from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.

UP President Alfredo Pascual attended the exhibit’s opening for the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon. Aside from Paz, others who attended were UPD Chancellor Caesar Saloma and project leaders Dr. Helen Lewis of the University College Dublin and Prof. William Ronquillo of the UP ASP and National Museum.

The UP Visayas Gender and Development Program (UPV-GDP) Office launched a photo exhibition titled “Bayhon sang Magna Carta sa mga Kababaihan” at the Hulot Aninipay of Museo Iloilo in celebration of International Women’s Month. The activity ran from March 11 to March 22.

It featured the works of five Iloilobased artists that commemorate the work and worth of women.

Dr. Ma. Luisa Mabunay, exhibit committee chair, said the activity helps fulfill “the hope that the passage of the Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act No. 9710) in 2010 enables the greater advancement of marginalized women.

It also encourages others to explore their boundaries and shine in fields once alien to them. It is hoped that women and men alike find fruitful reminders of what women are, what they have achieved, or have become.”

Eloisa Abelarde-Zell of the International Council for Museum of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Committee for Museum of Cities was guest of honor during the opening. Also present during the event were UPV Chancellor Minda Formacion, GDP Director Evelyn Alobba and museum curator James Mozart Amsua, as well as friends of GDP.

8 U.P. Newsletter

APRIL 2011

Integrity important in judiciary, academia–SC justice BERNICE P. VARONA Misael Bacani

What does it take to have intellectual integrity? “[It] can only be integrity if there is wholeness in the use of the life of the mind, if there is oneness in every way that one looks at reality, if there is harmony in what one thinks, what one feels, and what one speaks.”

Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno stressed this point during her lecture on “Intellectual Integrity, Academic Freedom and the Rule of Law” last March 10 at the UP Malcolm Hall.

Sereno stressed the need to take to heart the meaning of the term intellectual integrity, and what it means in our daily lives. She said that intellectual integrity is best nurtured in an environment of academic freedom and its culture, in turn, guarantees a society that is more observant of the rule of law.

She said that a person with intellectual integrity is humble, engages in self-reflection and acknowledges the works of others. This philosophical view establishes the norm of a person with intellectual integrity and guides his or her mental habits, words and actions. These norms, according to Sereno, constitute the standards for personal and professional conduct.

In her case, the constitution, statutes and code of ethics are the norms she follows.

She stressed the need to differentiate between what is legal and what is legitimate. “We who are in this august chamber are right, not because we have been given the power to have the final word on the

matter. We are right only when we are proven we are right.” In finding legitimacy, the court must not only be independent of societal and political pressures, but must also guard its publicized decisions by ensuring its soundness and clarity of the decisions. Not only that, the court must be ready to be accountable for its decisions, listen to helpful criticism and ensure the

moral integrity of its judges in order to be legitimate. “The judiciary is required to demonstrate moral authority and legitimacy, not only legality, at all times.”

“It is the judiciary which in dispensing justice must most keenly demonstrate the same traits expected of scholars: diligence, integrity, excellence,” Sereno said. “We must always approximate the best traits

of the intellectual.”

Sereno said academia should also be there for free and robust reporting, criticism and debate, which can contribute to understanding the rule of law. This then subjects the judiciary to the cleansing effects of exposure and accountability.

Academia’s role is also to guide the judiciary by showing new paths and to identify gaps in law and jurisprudence. She said that it is therefore important for the university to maintain high ethical standards.

Academia, especially legal academia, then becomes the preserver of noble standards of legal reasoning and scholarship.

Sereno said that the judiciary should not be beholden to any political power or private interest, and that its only loyalty is to the people. “To be independent, the judiciary must should always remember that it will lose public support and, in a certain extent, its legitimacy if it does not demonstrate integrity in its judicial decisions.

The rule of law is not the rule of mob, the rule of established elite, or the rule of the intellectual snob.”

Prior to her appointment to the Supreme Court, Sereno was executive director of the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center. She was the awardee for law in the Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) in 1998. She started her academic career as a law professor at the UP Diliman College of Law from 1986 to 2006.

The lecture was hosted by the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi UP chapter.

Rizal scholar Religion belongs in the public sphere– Law prof stresses need for moral, sacred Philippines KIM QUILINGUING

There is a need for a moral, “sacred” Philippines in line with the teachings of Dr. Jose Rizal, the country’s national hero.

Dr. Consolacion Alaras, former chair of the UP Diliman Department of English and Comparative Literature, stressed this point as students, faculty members and public servants gathered at Recto Hall in UP Diliman last March 7.

The occasion was in celebration of the 2011 Middle East Europe Rizal Blumentritt Pamathalaan Academy held from April 30 to May 11. Alaras was project leader of the academy. Conceived in 2007 with the assistance of then Czech Ambassador to the Philippines Jaroslav Ludva, the academy commemorated the friendship between Rizal and Czech scholar Dr. Ferdinand Blu-mentritt.

Alaras and Czech Ambassador to the Philippines Josef Rychtar opened the celebration by presenting UP President Alfredo Pacual with a painting of the national hero.

“Religion in the Philippines belongs in the public sphere.”

This was how UP Law Prof. Raul Pangalangan described the role of religion in his lecture on The Spirit and the Law: Laïcité and Explicit Religiosity in the Public Sphere last March 11 at the Malcolm Theater of Malcolm Hall, UP Diliman.

The debate between religiosity and secularism, the former UP Law dean said, can be traced to the “original sin” in the Malolos Republic. The Malolos Congress was inaugurated, as was the republic, at the Roman Catholic Church of Barasoain.

In the drafting of what would become the Malolos Constitution in the same church, Tomas del Rosario delivered a five-hour lecture to convince the members of congress to adopt the principle of separation of church and state. Del Rosario, a contemporary of Rizal in Spain, was the first and last delegate to introduce the European concept of separation, said Pangalangan.

When control of the Philippines passed from Spain to the United States, the concept of separation was sustained but based on the American model. The Philippine Bill of 1902, the Jones Law of 1916, the Tydings-Mcduffie Law and the 1935 Constitution, he said, had provisions on the separation of church and state. However, this separation was not clearly defined. The state was limited to the protection and exercise of civil and political rights while the church focused on the salvation of souls.

In recent years, Pangalangan said that the domains of both state and church have expanded, resulting in clashes on issues concerning the general public. The

state now promotes social justice, addresses economic needs and formulates policies on population control. The church, on the other hand, has adopted concepts like the preferential option for the poor and liberation theology, as well as involved itself in socio-political concerns.

Over the past 15 years, the public display of religious affiliation or religiosity in the Philippines has become aggressive even in public institutions. “There is a tendency today, in the affirmation of faith, to display your religiosity,” he said.

While the separation of church and state is considered a pillar of the democratic republic, Pangalangan said that it is difficult to effectively adopt the transplanted concept in the Philippines where “religion has always been in the public sphere.” This is the reason why, once a group or an individual pushes issues which touch on religious dogma, groups like the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) immediately react.

This is what’s happening in the debate over the Reproductive Health bill. While the church insists that the decision on the reproductive health of a couple should conform with its teachings, the state believes that it must intervene in behalf of those who cannot adopt an effective reproductive health scheme.

Reacting to Pangalangan’s lecture, UP Sociology Prof. Randy David affirmed the thesis that the principle of separation church and state is a transplanted idea from the United States. He said that while this may be considered a corner stone of democracy, it is important to note that the under-

lying notions of the principle belong to a different milieu. State neutrality on religion, he said, can survive only where there is no dominant religion. This is not the case in the Philippines, where an overwhelming majority of the population is Roman Catholic.

David said that the Philippines should adapt the political and democratic concepts from other countries to the prevailing customs and traditions in the country. “The institutions we borrowed from abroad have always produced unexpected and different results.”

From the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church, San Beda College of Law Dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino said that “laïcité is an imperative of justice.” Secularism, as expressed in the principle of separation of church and state, is necessary to maintain a free society. However, because the majority of the population in the Philippines is Roman Catholic, it is inevitable “for society to be judging things from the Christian perspective.” Consequently, the media describe the Roman Catholic Church as influential despite what Aquino said is a slow decline in the number of church followers.

For the church to remain significant in a free society, Aquino said that it must learn to engage the public in political theology.

“The church’s stand on the issue must not only be based on the beliefs it has, but must also stand in public debate which involves groups from other beliefs,” he said. While he appreciates the principles promoted by laïcité, Aquino warns against a strictly secular society because “ it would still be dangerous for states to marginalize (Continued on page 12)

APRIL 2011

U.P. Newslett er 9

Reuters Bureau Chief analyzes media’s role in Philippine, Egyptian uprisings ANDRE ENCARNACION

What do the uprisings in the Philippines in 1986 and Egypt in 2011 have in common?

In his lecture titled “Journalism: Challenges and Opportunities” last March 2 at Plaridel Hall in UP Diliman, Quezon City, Reuters Bureau Chief John Mair used the 25th anniversary of the EDSA People Power revolution and the democratic struggles in the Middle East as reference points to explain developments in the practice of journalism through the years.

He reminded the younger members of the audience that in 1986 there were no mobile phones, the Internet was not yet the global phenomenon that it is today, and that devices like video cameras were much bulkier and operated differently.

He said that the vital media of the day were newspapers, radio and television. He

cited the importance of Radio Veritas in the overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship, as well as in quelling attempts by the powers-that-be at that time to control the media in order to spread misinformation and gather support.

In Egypt however, Mair said that social media and various technological breakthroughs opened a “completely different environment” with a new set of advantages and challenges along with it.

Globalization ensured that local stories will have much larger implications for the rest of the world, such as the Libyan revolution’s effects on oil prices worldwide, as well as the presence of 30,000 Filipino OFWs inside a country currently in crisis.

Because Facebook and Twitter, as well as the growth of specialists in various media outlets, Mair said that a multitude

of source variety, immediacy and diversity of perspectives and backgrounds.

He said that today’s youth have a distinct advantage as they were born and are growing up with the social media and other technological advances.

Having spent 16 years in Reuters, Mair spent the past year of his employment in Manila where he and his team experienced covering events like the August 23 hostage crisis, the peace process between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF), the election of President Noynoy Aquino and the onslaught of powerful typhoons.

He said that the major challenges of being assigned to a new country like the Philippines include researching its history and institutions.

of angles and possibilities have emerged.

However, he clarified that the emergence of new ways to present and acquire stories does not change the fundamentals of journalism. He stressed the importance of knowing the context and history of a certain story before actually releasing it for public consumption. According to him, standards should never be compromised despite the presence of new media.

For example, Mair said that Reuters has its own Twitter policy as a guideline for responsible journalism directly addressing new technology. Mair said that the traditional journalistic responsibilities of verifying information, checking sources and getting permission still applied.

With regard to social media, Mair considered them a “great asset” because of the flexibility they give Reuters in the form

Scholars recall 1971 Diliman Commune Philippines a From “The UP: A University for Filipinos”

It was a day of remembrance and hope as a UP-based organization of faculty members commemorated in a forum last February 23 the 40th anniversary of the 1971 Diliman Commune.

Titled “We the Communards: 40 Years of Continuing Struggle,” the Congress of Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy-UP chapter (CONTENDUP) held the forum at Recto Hall in UP Diliman, Quezon City.

It aimed to remember the 40th anniversary of the Diliman Commune, the historic uprising of UP Diliman students, professors and staff in solidarity with transport workers which is considered the first mass display of resistance to the Marcos government by the UP community.

“We the Communards” featured literary critic Dr. Epifanio San Juan, feminist scholar Dr. Delia Aguilar and CSWCD professor Dr. Judy Taguiwalo in a discussion of the history and significance of the Diliman Commune.

Taguiwalo provided an intimate look at the Diliman Commune with pictures and articles from the Philippine Collegian, together with a chronological account of the event from the perspective of someone on the ground. She explained her first-hand experience of life in the barricades, from the making of Molotov cocktails to the display of solidarity from all sectors of the UP community when food was brought in for the ‘communards’ by residents.

From the shooting of students by UP professor Inocentes Campos, to the gestures of unity from then UP President Salvador P. Lopez and the brutality of

Metropolitan Command (Metrocom) soldiers, Taguiwalo narrated details of all nine days of the struggle from February 1 to 9, 1971 and explained the lessons she learned from participating in it.

Taguiwalo said that the celebration of the Diliman Commune’s 40th anniversary was not a nostalgia trip but a call for steadfastness in defending UP’s principles of public service in the face of neoliberal policies. Quoting a statement from the UP Movement Tigil Paslang, she reminded everyone that “(u)nlike other institutions that are primarily driven by the inertia of capital and power, a university ideally enjoys relative isolation from these imperatives to allow it to fulfil its important role as a social critic and repository of social memory…It is the capacity of the university to witness for the truth that gains for it a soul.”

San Juan traced the history of the Diliman Commune and the social realities that led to the movement. The Diliman Commune, according to him, was inspired by the Paris Commune—the ruling government of Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. The latter was formed mainly due to an uprising caused by the dissatisfaction of the working and lower-middle classes of the period. It was described as “the beginning or embryo of Communism.”

Another key inspiration of the Diliman Commune, according to San Juan, was the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, a movement of workers and soldiers which was a consequence of the execution of the three priests collectively known as GOMBURZA. It would become one of the inspirations of the Revolution of 1896 and would eventually lead to the 1899 Filipino-

American War during which around 1.4 million Filipinos died.

In 1899, the Philippines became a colony of the United States. But the country has remained a US neo-colony. He emphasized the subtle mechanisms that led to this state, specifically mental and cultural manipulation, as the United States emerged from World War II as a superpower. He said that the Vietnam War was the “beginning of the end” of US global supremacy.

On the other hand, he said that the 2008 collapse of US financial capital was a pivotal shift in the global configuration of power that will continue in the coming years. He cited the important role of cleansing the Filipino mind of colonialism as one of the most important steps to take toward true liberation.

For her part, Aguilar recounted the life and courage of human rights worker Maria Luisa Posa Dominado or “Luing.”

She and Nilo Arado were abducted by three armed men in Iloilo on April 12, 2007 and have become one of the many desaparecidos in a country rife with extrajudicial killings and abductions.

Rather than focus on Dominado’s disappearance, however, Aguilar narrated her glorious life which she described as characterized by a “complete lack of self importance;” she was “an exemplar of dedication to the highest ideals of a people struggling for genuine independence and a more humane social order.” It was Luing’s tireless dedication and steadfast hope for the country, Aguilar said, that makes it “possible to look to her life for inspiration” even though the prospects of finding her remain dim.

‘subcontracting state’ – UP law prof BERNICE P. VARONA

Is the Philippines a “subcontracting” state?

UPD College of Law Prof. Merlin Magallona argued that it is, as he explained how the colonial division of labor has evolved into export industrialization. He stressed that Japan’s satellization of the Philippine economy has made the country a “subcontracting state” as the Japanese manipulated the Philippine economy as an export processing zone, industrial estate and special economic zone for Japanese investments.

Magallona, former dean of the UPD College of Law, was the second UP Law Centennial Lecturer. Held at the college’s Malcolm Theater last February 28, the centennial lecture titled “The Philippine State: A Portrait of a Failed Sovereignty” focused on the situation of sovereignty in the country.

“Coming home to the constitutional text on sovereignty in relation to the real condition of the people, the challenge lies in the mobilization of the people as a force of sovereignty in the concept of social reality and not merely as a legal principle or political aspiration,” Magallona said.

He said that it is instructive “to take a broad view on Philippine developments and consider the perception that it is the external forces that have saved the turning points of our history.”

Magallona said that under US colonialism, free trade was imposed where the Philippines was forced to trade “freely” with only the US, making our country highly dependent on the Americans for trade. Aside from this, Philippine independence was regulated and controlled through the Tydings-McDuffee Law. Magallona, aside from being dean from 1995 to 1999, was also the college’s associate dean from 1991 to 1995 and director of the Institute for International Legal Studies in the UP Law Center.

10 U.P. Newslett er

APRIL 2011

ICC President argues for Philippine ratification of Rome statute KIM QUILINGUING

law against genocide and war crimes.

Recalling his experience growing up during the Korean War, Song said that he had to walk several kilometers then in order to get food for his family. And in his walks, he would see hundreds of bodies. He did not expect, more than half a century later, to see the same thing in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo during his trips to those countries for the international court. He said it is the ICC’s mandate to prosecute those behind such incidents and penalize them.

“Admittedly, the international community has not yet found a way to end such violence altogether. But at least something is being done,” he said. “We have learned that justice must prevail.”

For his part, UP Law Prof. Raul Pangalangan said that the Philippine ratification of the Rome protocols is “a matter of historical progression” since the country has been very much involved in the international justice and prosecution system.

Aside from the principle of command responsibility, Pangalangan, former dean of the UP College of Law, said that the Philippines was also involved in the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), where Philippine Supreme

Bong Arboleda

“Crimes of such magnitude must be prosecuted to end the cycle of violence,” said International Criminal Court (ICC) President Sang-Hyun Song during his talk on genocide, war crimes, and impunity in a forum at the UP Diliman College of Law last March 8.

Touring several countries in Southeast Asia, Song visited the Philippines to push for the ratification of the Rome Statute in the Philippine Senate. The approval of the statute will make the Philippines a member of the ICC. Song highlighted the Philippines’ historical role in the international criminal justice system by citing the country’s participation in the war crimes trials in the aftermath of the Second World War. He said that it was in the trial of Japanese Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, which was held in the Philippines, that the doctrine of command responsibility for war crimes was established.

Yamashita was found guilty by the war crimes tribunal for failing to prevent the massacre of at least 20,000 people in Batangas and many others in other areas all over the country and in Singapore. The doctrine of command responsibility has become one of the pillars of international

ICC President Sang-Hyun Song

Court Associate Justice Delfin Jaranilla sat as one of the judges.

Whistleblower at peace with poverty JO. FLORENDO B. LONTOC Misael Bacani

Former government auditor Heidi Mendoza

During one of her first public speaking engagements after she became a witness in the Senate investigation on corruption in the military, former government auditor Heidi Mendoza reaffirmed the vow she made as high school valedictorian to fight graft and corruption.

Speaking at the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) forum organized by several NCPAG-based organizations last March 1, Mendoza narrated how her fight against corruption in government has become her public advocacy as a result of recent events which put her in the limelight.

Mendoza said that she plans to attend more public engagements to encourage citizens to fight corruption. She wants to

be an example of someone in the bureaucracy who was not only able to resist temptation; she also became a whistleblower.

For their part, Mendoza said that citizens can fight corruption by engaging government in such activities as proposing development funds and accounting. She said people can start by learning to read and check barangay financial statements.

While she expressed willingness to return to government service, she said that she “will never ask to be appointed.” She dismissed innuendos that she became a witness in the Senate hearings to get a higher position in government. She said she resigned from the Commission on Audit and already had a high and well-paying

position at the Asian Development Bank when she became a Senate witness.

Mendoza’s message about corruption was that to fight it, one has to start by strengthening his or her character; cultivating the spirit of honesty and nationalism; and inculcating in children the concept of “kapwa” and the sanctity of public money.

“Wala akong paghahangad na yumaman. I am at peace with poverty,” she said. Whenever reminded of the wealth of corrupt people in government, she would recall the image of the masses. She said that people in government must work with that image in mind. It was the same image she had in mind whenever she was bribed or threatened with death. She narrated the danger she faced while doing auditing work at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The forum titled “After the exposes, what now?” also featured Jose de Venecia III and Prof. Leonor Briones. De Venecia discussed the sacrifices of whistleblowers.

He said that he “ will still do it because it is the right thing.” He called for the passage of the Freedom of Information bill and the Whistleblowers bill.

Briones gave a background on corruption in the Philippines. She said that government has enough institutions, laws and studies to fight corruption. “The main driver should be the President,” she said.

“No one but the President can make [these institutions] work.”

The forum was held at the NCPAG Assembly Hall and was attended by NCPAG students, faculty members and alumni. A contingent from the University of Kalookan also attended.

The IMTFE was a court established in Tokyo at the end of the Second World War with the task of prosecuting suspected Japanese war criminals.

While the prevailing concept of international justice then was to penalize a belligerent state for the action of its leaders, Pangalangan said that the ICC shifts the blame from the state to the person. He said that the ICC moves away from the concept of a just war and looks at the individual and his or her actions based on generally accepted concepts of justice. This differentiates the ICC from the International Court of Justice which prosecutes states responsible for war crimes, genocide and other atrocities.

UP Law Dean Marvic Leonen said that by establishing the ICC, the international community will be correcting the questionable elements which resulted from the prosecution of Nazi war criminals in the Nuremberg Trials of 1945 and the trial of Adolf Eichmann in 1961. Leonen said that the trial of Nazi war criminals, though necessary, was done under laws which were tailor-fit to the specifications of the victorious nations and not under international and universally-accepted standards and statutes.

Former UP Law Dean Merlin Magallona said that the concept of individual criminal prosecution under international law originally started with the Nuremberg Trials. The prosecutors in the trials, he said, introduced the idea that it would be difficult to exact responsibility for war crimes from the state since the latter is an abstract idea.

“You cannot put the state against the wall before a firing squad,” Magallona said.

Established in July 2002 in The Hague, The Netherlands, the ICC was organized with the adoption in 1998 of the Rome Statute by several countries. The ICC is a permanent tribunal mandated to prosecute cases of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

APRIL 2011

U.P. Newsletter 11

Pascual notes achievements in engineering R&D (Continued from page 4)

up success factors are addressing a major market need, providing a unique solution, executing a sound plan, having a strong technical and management team and possessing solid financial support.

Dr. Filemon Uriarte, Jr., chairperson of LAUDS Technologies, Inc., academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology and former secretary of the DOST, said that “innovation goes far beyond R&D [or research and development],” as it involves users, suppliers and consumers. He said that innovation also covers government, businesses and NGOs across borders, sectors and institutions.

Innovation, Uriarte said, can be classified into four types. These are product innovation, process innovation, marketing innovation and organizational innovation.

Uriarte identified five priority actions

to promote innovation: instituting policies that encourage investment in innovation; providing adequate public and private investment for both engineering and scientific R&D; facilitating the transfer and commercialization of innovative technological advances; promoting partnerships that link R&D performers and users; and creating and supporting life-long education initiatives to enhance competitiveness.

The ERDT Program consists of a consortium of eight universities, which are Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), De La Salle University (DLSU), Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), University of San Carlos (USC), UP Los Baños (UPLB) and UP Diliman College of Engineering

(UPD-COE) as the lead agency. It was approved by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2007 and was given a funding of P3.5 billion. The latter was allocated among the four major components of the program. These are scholarships that aim to produce a critical mass of research-trained engineers with graduate degrees; research and development; infrastructure development; and faculty development. According to UPD-COE Dean and ERDT Program Leader Dr. Aura Matias, the 6th ERDT Conference marked a fitting close to the ERDT’s first cycle and the beginning of its second cycle.

“Our message for this year is technological entrepreneurship and innovation,” Matias said in her closing remarks. “We have to go beyond R&D. We have the talent pool, and we have worked hard for

Ouster of UP Cebu dean demanded (Continued from page 1)

Agency,” Avila said.

UP Vice-President for Administration Maragtas Amante flew to UPCC last March 6 on a fact-finding mission to meet with the various sectors involved in the controversy.

A statement posted by UP President Alfredo Pascual in his Facebook account, and forwarded to the UP Newsletter by VPA Amante, said that the parties calling for Dean Avila’s ouster were advised to submit their formal complaint to the UP System.

Pascual added that his office received the complaint last March 17, and that the following day, after being reviewed by the Office of the Vice-President for Legal Affairs, he signed a memorandum designating a UP lawyer to conduct a preliminary investigation of the complaint.

In the same statement, Pascual called on all parties to wait for the report from the assigned preliminary investigator. “The principle of due process must be [upheld],” Pascual said. “This is the guarantee of protection for all of us from any undue action by those in authority.”

Congressional inquiry

Last March 15, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino filed House Resolution No. (HRN) 1091 calling for a House inquiry into the alleged irregularities at UP Cebu. The proposed resolution has been referred to the House Committee on Rules.

Quoting from the March 1 petition submitted by UPCC’s selected students, faculty and staff to Pascual, HRN 1091

identified six acts for which Avila, Sharif and Pineda should be held liable: “Technical malversation of funds in violation of Art. 220 of the Revised Penal Code; Entering into disadvantageous contracts in violation of Section 3 (g) of RA 3019; Unlawful composition of Bids and Awards Committee in violation of Section 11, Article V of RA 9184; Arbitrary and discriminatory acts against faculty and staff in violation of Section 3 (f) of RA 3019 and the UP Charter; Receiving money from job order employees in violation of Section 3 (b) of RA 3019; and Arbitrary removal of student representation in the Executive Committee and College Com-mittees in violation of the UP Charter.” (with report from Ador Vincent Mayol, Cebu Daily News.)

the past three years. It is time for us to move beyond the classroom. It is time for us to show that engineering by Filipinos for the Filipinos works.”

The members of the ERDT Steering Committee are UPD-COE Dean and ERDT Program Leader Matias. The project leaders of the respective consortium universities are AdMU College of Science and Engineering Dean Fabian Dayrit; CLSU College of Engineering Dean Ireneo Agulto; DLSU College of Engineering Dean Pag-asa Gaspillo; MIT Graduate School Dean Jonathan Salvacion; USC College of Engineering Dean Andresa Allera; UPLB Institute of Agricultural Engineering Director Arnold Elepaño; and UPD-COE Associate Dean for Instruction and Research Menandro Berana.

Admin looking into UP Cebu row—Pascual (Continued from page 1)

Pascual assured the protesters that the administration would take appropriate action once concrete evidence is gathered.

In the meantime, he announced the formation of a committee under Concepcion to investigate the issues and look at the evidence. Pascual reiterated his commitment to due process, urged the complainants to help gather evidence and called for more sobriety among the protesters.

The protesters expressed their appreciation of Pascual’s gesture to update them on the matter and dispersed peacefully at around 1 p.m.

Bong Arboleda

Volcanic eruptions, weather patterns must be closely monitored – UP prof

(Continued from page 1)

ration with the Japan Foundation and the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) held the symposium on “Eco-cultural Adaptations in Volcanic Environments” from February 25 to 28.

Since the Philippines is within the Pacific Ring of Fire, Yumul said that it is necessary to study eruptions like those of Mt. Pinatubo. The Pacific Ring of Fire is a series of volcanoes which stretch from New Zealand in the Southwest Pacific to Japan Northwest Pacific and from the Aleutians in the Northeast Pacific to Chile on the Southeast Pacific.

Yumul said that the Philippines does not only experience volcanic eruptions but also seismic activities which are due to the movement of the tectonic plates under the Pacific Ocean. A movement in one end of the Ring results in a corresponding movement in another part of it.

Aside from the volcanic and seismic activity, Yumul said that the country must also consider weather patterns in studying the extent of volcanic damage to lives and property. Weather patterns could worsen or limit the dangers of volcanic activity.

He said that it is important to take note of the country’s wet and dry months.

Weather in the country has in recent years been inter-related to the weather in South America due to the El Niño-South-

ern Oscillation phenomenon. He said that whenever the Philippines experiences its dry months, South America is experiencing its wet months, and vice versa.

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon is a weather-related situation which occurs across the Pacific Ocean. It is characterized by alternate shifting periods of dry and wet seasons in Western and Eastern regions.

For the year 2011, Yumul said that more and stronger typhoons are expected, with the “super typhoon” category being seen more often. “What we expect to be normal is no longer normal.”

He said that while the gross domestic product (GDP) for 2010 may have reported a positive growth of 7.3 percent, there was a decrease of production in the agricultural sector from 0.2 percent to 0.5 percent due to irregular climate patterns and harsh weather conditions. Saying that “climate uncertainty is no longer the exception but the rule,” Yumul stressed the need to have community-level disaster risk management training, preparations and schemes to limit the damage which typhoons, droughts, volcanic eruptions and seismic activities might bring. He said that disaster risk management is no longer a mere weather and climactic issue because it is also economic.

Metallurgy expert visits UP Diliman Fathi Habashi, an expert in extractive metallurgy, will lecture at UP Diliman from March 7 to 9 at the College of Engineering Theater. Habashi is Professor Emeritus at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada.

12 U.P. Newsletter

APRIL 2011

UP wins 2nd place in street dance tilt Organic ARLYN VCD PALISOC ROMUALDO

The UP Street Dance Club won second place in the first street dance competition of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) last March 12 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The UP Diliman team earned 88.25 points and received a cash prize of P50,000. De La Salle University’s La Salle Dance Company-Street finished first with 91.00 points and got P75,000. Ateneo de Manila University’s Company of Ateneo Dancers rounded up the top three with 86.67 points and P25,000.

Other schools were ranked as follows: University of the East, fourth with 83.67

points; University of Santo Tomas, fifth with 76.833 points; Far Eastern University, sixth with 72.167 points; Adamson University, seventh with 70.83 points; and National University, eighth with 64.75 points.

The board of judges was headed by Jungee Marcelo, president of the Hiphop Federation of the Philippines. The members were: Jay Masta Cambay, Alfred Luazon, and Young JV, also of the Hiphop Federation of the Philippines; Jaime del Prado of Powerdance; and Madelle Enriquez and Prince Paltu-ob of the Philippine All-Stars and Brewing Point

Dance Studio.

The criteria for judging were performance (60 percent) and skills (40 percent).

As regards performance, a group’s creativity, spacing, formation, staging, showmanship, attire, entertainment value and variety of styles were considered. In the skills category, the judges looked at musicality, timing, execution and difficulty of styles.

The UAAP Street Dance Competition results were not included in the computation for the overall season ranking of the UAAP member-universities.

Checking up on UP CHECK Mel Jesus Cometa

The UP Cooperation of Honest, Efficient, Competent and Knowledgeable (UP CHECK) distributes rice, canned goods and school supplies to students of Yakap Day Care Center in Village B, UP Diliman on February 24. Organized by selected UP Diliman employees and their spouses in 2007, officers of UP CHECK promise to initiate more community outreach programs in the university.

certification orientation held at UPV PROF. MARILOU J. ANG LOPEZ

To help standardize organic food production in the Visayas, the UP Visayas School of Technology (UPV SOTECH) hosted an “Orientation on Organic Certification” at the UPV Iloilo City campus last March 4.

The orientation, organized in cooperation with KAHARIAM Farms and Realty, Inc. (KFRI) and VermEcology Society (VES), aimed to educate concerned sectors about organic agriculture in line with the implementation of Republic Act No. 1068 or the Organic Agricultural Act of the Philippines. RA 1068 was passed into law last year to promote, propagate, develop and implement the practice of organic agriculture in the country.

About 50 participants attended the orientation. They were from the private, government and non-government sectors in Western Visayas who have varied interests in organic agriculture.

Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP) Executive Director Lani Limpin and OCCP Inspector and Program Staff Julie Ann Gepielago served as resource persons.

OCCP, the authorized organic certifying body in the Philippines, implements the Philippine National Standards Specification for Organic Agriculture which was developed in 2003 by the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards of the Department of Agriculture.

(Continued from page 8)

religion.”

For his part, UP Diliman College of Social Work and Community Development Prof. Oscar Ferrer said that while the debate between secularism and religiosity is common in democratic societies, it is important to note that in ancient societies, the church and the state were one. The idea of laïcité or the separation of church and state, he said, is part of the old European hegemony of ideas and politics and society which was transplanted to the country.

In the context of a rapidly globalizing society, Ferrer said it is important to adopt “a new world view based on different cultures, religions, and world views.” The individual, he said, “is the aggregator of the various beliefs.” Only through the adoption of a wider perspective of human societies, traditions, practices and beliefs can people of various faiths and political inclinations bridge the communication gap and differing social and political realities.

party.

Ordoñez identified many published works of Sison which continue to serve as an inspiration to those who seek societal change. Among these are “Philippine Society and Revolution” (1969), “Specific Characteristics of Our People’s War” (1973) and “Our Urgent Tasks” (1975).

Sison was captured by the Marcos military in 1976 and spent 10 years in military prisons enduring torture and solitary confinement. His steadfastness in the face of adversity, Ordoñez said, gave truth to the lines, “you can imprison a revolutionary, but not the revolution.” With his release, he founded the Partido ng Bayan, which attempted to field candidates in the 1987 elections. He was, however, hounded by the military. Sison then sought political asylum abroad. The continued oppression of the Filipino people and the twists and turns of global affairs kept Sison busy, according to Ordoñez .

Palatino, whose essay “The Joema Effect” is also featured in the book, ana-

Profs. Luis Teodoro and Elmer Ordonez attend the book launch.

lyzed Sison’s contributions to the youth movement. He noted Sison’s popularity in cyberspace and with the nation’s socially conscious youth. He credited Sison for his youthful idealism despite his age, prompting him to call Sison a “revolutionary and activist of the future.” Palatino said that he is an example of a committed activist

at an early age, considering that he formed the CPP before he was 30 years old.

Palatino also praised the First Quarter Storm generation as “courageous” for standing up to the Marcos dictatorship, and for teaching the younger generation that as long as they were one with the masses, they could make history.

U.P. NEWSLETTER PROF. DANILO ARAÑA ARAO Editor-in-Chief FRANCIS PAOLO QUINA Managing Editor PROF. LUIS TEODORO Editorial Consultant CELESTE ANNE CASTILLO LLANETA, JO. FLORENDO B. LONTOC, KIM QUILINGUING, ARLYN VCD P. ROMUALDO, BERNICE P. VARONA Writers OBET EUGENIO Editorial Assistant TOM MAGLAYA Circulation MADRID Photographers ROD P. FAJARDO III Layout

CAMILLE DELA ROSA, ANDRE ENCARNACION, BONG ARBOLEDA, MISAEL BACANI, JONATHAN

The U.P. NEWSLETTER 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. Newsletter Mezzanine Floor, Quezon Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City 926-1572, 436-7537 e-mail: upnewsletter@up.edu.ph upsio@up.edu.ph

Jonathan Madrid

Religion belongs Book on UP alumnus Jose Maria Sison launched (Continued from page 6) in the public with the old Partido Komunista ng sphere– Law prof out Pilipinas over Sison’s desire to reform the