UP Newsletter October 2011 by University of the Philippines

U.P. Newsletter 1

Wired UP

Educ reboot The website of the UP Diliman College of Education (http://www.upd.edu.ph/~ced/) now has updated news and events on the welcome page. Online visitors also get an idea of the college’s national engagements through links to conferences.

V O L U M E X X XII

N U M B E R 10

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

‘We are One UP’ – Pascual Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo

Arbeen Acuña

Humigit-kumulang 10,000 estudyante, guro, kawani at administrador ang nagmartsa mula sa iba’t ibang state universities and colleges (SUCs) patungo sa Mendiola Peace Arc noong Setyembre 23. Ayon kay Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino, “ang P21.8 bilyong badyet para sa mga SUC sa 2012 ay kapos nang P24 bilyon para sa P45.8 bilyong pangangailangan ng mga SUC.” Tinatayang 2,000 sa nasabing 10,000 ay delegasyon pa lamang ng UP Diliman (UPD). Ang UP Kilos Na Laban sa Budget Cut, bahagi ng Kilos Na Laban sa Budget Cut, ang namuno sa tinaguriang “Isko Tsunami Walk,” ang 13-kilometrong martsa ng komunidad ng UPD mula sa Palma Hall hanggang Mendiola. Taong 2000 pa, kung kailan tagapangulo ng Konseho ng mga Mag-aaral si Palatino sa UPD, nang huling gawin ang ganitong kahabang martsa. Sumanib ang UPD sa iba pang mga estudyante mula sa Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), UP Manila (UPM), Philippine Normal University (PNU), Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST), Rizal Technological University (RTU), Marikina Polytechnic College (MPC) at Technological University of the Philippines (TUP). Sa Mendiola, sinunog ang “Octopnoy” efﬁgy, nagkaroon ng maramihang planking ng libu-libong estudyante na sinundan (Itutuloy sa pahina 3)

OCTOBER 2 0 11

DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY

Photo by Bong Arboleda

Iba’t ibang kampus ng UP, nagprotesta laban sa limitadong badyet sa edukasyon, iba pang batayang serbisyo

University of the Philippines Community Newspaper

“The remaking of UP as a great university can only be achieved through our unified effort, and our individual and collective recognition that we are One UP.” The national university’s 20th president, Alfredo E. Pascual, stressed this point during his investiture last September 15 at the University Theater in UP Diliman. A unified UP, he said, must “seize the leadership in the making of a globally competitive Philippines” while “nurturing the spirit our nationhood.” In his speech, Pascual said that his vision of remaking UP as a great university is anchored on two strategic thrusts, academic excellence and operation excellence. The first, he said, involves developing UP students, researchers, faculty and staff into a pool of responsible and competent leaders who create innovative and practical technologies that address the country’s problems, produce creative works that uplift the spirit of the Filipino people and effectively express national culture and identity, and conduct outstanding extension services that transform communities. Under the academic excellence thrust is the review of the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT), restructuring of the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), improvement of scholarship programs and undertaking other activities necessary in maintaining the university’s public character. In addition, the general education program must be enhanced, advanced studies of young faculty members supported financially, participation of faculty in international conferences funded and creators of exemplary publications and educational materials rewarded.

(Continued on page 7)

President Pascual delivers his investiture speech.

BOR appoints new UPM, UPLB, UPV chancellors Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc

The UP Board of Regents (BOR) during its 1,273rd meeting last September 29 approved the appointments of the new chancellors of UP Manila (UPM), UP Los Baños (UPLB) and UP Visayas (UPV) who will serve from November 1, 2011 to October 31, 2014. Ophthalmologist Dr. Manuel Agulto, UP Scientist II Rex Victor Cruz and Physics Prof. Rommel Espinosa were chosen as chancellors of UPM, UPLB and UPV, respectively, after

separate search processes which began last June 10. Plans for UP Manila

In his vision paper, Agulto pledged to make UPM a nationally and internationally recognized center of excellence in health and social science education and translational research, producing not only published works but also innovative patents. Agulto also envisions UPM as “center for car caring,

competent and world-class health care and social services (serving) all sectors of society, but especially the underserved” and a “center for collaboration, policy generation and advocacy on relevant national and international issues.” Among his directions and thrusts are incentives for cost-reduction; global audit of systems, personnel and property; collaboration with other UP units and other universities and (Continued on page 10)

Photo by Jun Madrid

Photo by Bong Arboleda

Shamcey visits UPD A big crowd at Quezon Hall, UP Diliman (UPD) which included a College of Architecture (CA) contingent welcomed last September 19 Shamcey Supsup, Miss Universe 2011 third runner-up and UP magna cum laude graduate (2008) from CA who topped the 2010 Architecture Licensure Exam. Supsup announced her plan to teach at CA. She also congratulated the UP Pep Squad for its UAAP victory and committed herself to the cause of greater state subsidy for UP.

Outstanding Routine Finale A tribute to the Oblation caps the UP Pep Squad’s winning performance in the recent UAAP cheerdance championship. See full story on page 12.

UP Cebu breaks ground for new campus

UPM, Ritemed ink deal to produce herbal medicines

PHL faces serious ‘ﬁshkill’ problem

Conference focuses on ‘carbon-neutral’ economy

2 U.P. Newsletter

OCTOBER 2011

UP Cebu breaks ground for new campus Charisse Gay Ursal Photo by Hector Paolo Diango

UP Cebu College will construct a graduate facility in its five-hectare extension campus at the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City. The September 23 groundbreaking rites for the P300-million project were led by UP President Alfredo Pascual. He stressed that the second UP Cebu campus will be a “productive symbiosis between the academe and business community.” The SRP campus will include space for business process outsourcing (BPO) companies and technology-based industries where students can work and study at the same time and excel as knowledge workers and information technology (IT) leaders. According to Pascual, the UP Professional Schools not just aims to provide leadership in higher education but also intends to develop the best minds in the IT, considering that the latter is UP Cebu’s flagship program. The second UP Cebu campus will also offer courses in production design, communication, business administration and continuing professional education. The UP Professional Schools Cebu is the first in the region and the second in the country, Pascual said. “We see Cebu as a strong center for IT industries and we’re already formulating strategies to negotiate with different (BPO) companies.”

Cebu and the rise of advanced facilities in the province, Pascual envisions UP Cebu’s extension campus to be a catalyst of IT development in the SRP. The Cebu City Government, through former mayor and now Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña, donated the ﬁve-hectare SRP lot to UP in March 2009. The deed of donation requires UP to develop the property into a graduate school within three years. Senator Serge Osmeña III gave P30 million from his priority development assistance fund (PDAF) for the construction of the building of UP Innovation Center for Technology Businesses (ICIB). Autonomy anniversary

President Pascual, accompanied by Vice-President for Public Affairs J. Prospero De Vera III and Vice-President for Development Elvira Zamora, lowers the time capsule during groundbreaking rites for the UP Cebu SRP campus.

Cebu Business Incubator

Pascual also visited in the afternoon of September 23 the Cebu Business Incubator in IT (CeBuinIT), located on the third ﬂoor of the Arts and Sciences Building of the UP Cebu main campus in Lahug, Cebu. CeBuinIT is a Technology Business Incubator (TBI) facility that aims to create

a venue for the academe, government and different industries to develop technological innovations and improve academic initiatives in emerging science and technology ﬁelds. Among its networks are UP-Ayala TBI, Technohub, Brain Gain Network and Plug and Play Tech Center. With continuing IT proﬁciency in UP

After the groundbreaking at the SRP campus, students, faculty, administration and guests commemorated UP Cebu’s ﬁrst anniversary as an autonomous college at the UP Cebu Conference Hall in the Lahug campus. UP Cebu was granted autonomy from the supervision of UP Visayas on September 24, 2010. This status grants UP Cebu greater budget and freedom to manage its own affairs. Pascual clariﬁed, however, that UP Cebu remains an integral part of the UP System which upholds the same tradition of honor and excellence to serve the people.

UP Manila launches HEALTH UPdate Health) and Edsel Maurice Salvana (UPCM and National Institutes of Health). HEALTH UPdate-Manila functions mainly as a press briefing and is conducted monthly. “UP Manila has lots of relevant researches as this is one aspect of its public service mandate,” UPM Chancellor Ramon Arcadio said. “Unfortunately, most are just deposited in libraries.” Dr. Michael Tee, information director of UP Manila, said, “Sharing information with the public and helping them understand the nature of an illness is half the battle of At the launch of HEALTH UPdate on September 16: (left to right) UPM-IPPAO Director Michael Tee, NThC consultant Dr. Alvin Marcelo, NPMC consultant Dr. Lynn Panganiban, UPCM Dean Alberto Roxas, UPM saving lives from potential life Chancellor Ramon Arcadio, UPM Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Joseﬁna Tayag, UPCPH professor Dr. threatening situations.” Juan Antonio Solon, Walter Panganiban of Coca-Cola Philippines, and UPCM professor and NIH researcher As of September 26, three Dr. Edsel Maurice Salvana media outﬁts and three blog sites have published articles based on the http://tasteofgoodness.blogspot.com and Cola Philippines. The program is now part of the company’s Healthy and Active presentations: Philippine Star, Manila Standard http://www.glamourmoments.net. H E A LT H U P d a t e - M a n i l a i s a Lifestyle Advocacy (under “Live Positively”). Today, http://www.watchfilipinotv.com, http://crumpyliciousblog.blogspot.com, partnership between UP Manila and Coca- (FMJemena/IPPAO-UPM)

Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo

“Viewing used to be seen as inimical to reading. The advent of digital books has ushered in the possibility of these two skills complementing each other, if not practically fusing into one,” said UP Press Director J. Neil Garcia during the launch of 10 UP Press electronic books last September 6 at the National Computer Center. Digital books offer the “same kind of irreplaceable and subjective experience that traditional books offer” because the e-book reading experience is “interactive, controllable, personally appropriable and therefore individually unique.” Garcia expressed his excitement at the opportunity to see books by Filipino authors as “globally marketable, portable, storable and environmentally non-injurious digital

text.” The 10 electronic books launched were Beautiful Accidents by Ian Rosales Casocot, Fourteen Love Stories edited by Jose Y. Dalisay Jr. and Angelo R. Lacuesta, Damaged People by Karl R. De Mesa, Philippine Postcolonial Studies: Essays on Language and Literature edited by Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo and Priscelina Patajo-Legasto, Geek Tragedies by Carljoe Javier, The Gaze by Arvin Abejo Mangohig, Revisiting Usog, Pasma, Kulam by Michael L. Tan, A History of the Philippines by Samuel K. Tan, Surgeons Do Not Cry by Ting Tiongco, and Hairtrigger Loves: 50 Poems on Woeman by Alfred A. Yuson. These titles were previously released in print between 2002 and 2011. Javier, one of the authors and also the special project ofﬁcer for digital and online

marketing of the UP Press, said that the digitization of books has revolutionized the modes of distribution and modes of consumption. The buying of books, he said, has expanded from going to a bookstore to going online. Javier added that digitization meant that books no longer have to compete with more popular titles for shelf space and that Filipino titles will be able to reach a much larger audience. The digitization of the UP Press titles is courtesy of Flipside Digital, with whom the UP Press has a ﬁve-year, 50-title partnership.

Photo by Misael Bacani

UP Press launches e-books

Photo courtesy of the UPM-IPPAO

UP Manila (UPM) launched last September 16 a new public ser vice program. HEALTH UPdate-Manila aims to provide timely health information by presenting research ﬁndings, announcing new developments in health, clarifying policies and explaining public health programs. The event was held at the Alvior Hall of the College of Medicine (UPCM) and was attended by journalists, bloggers and UP ofﬁcials. The program’s first activity showed the benefits of the Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS) of the National Telehealth Center (NThC); the data on poison and some of the disturbing trends detected by the National Poison and Management Center (NPMC); the detrimental effects of intestinal worms on the intellectual capabilities of people, especially children; and the rising number of HIV cases in the country. The speakers were Drs. Portia Marcelo (NThC), Lynn Panganiban (NPMC), John Antonio Solon (College of Public

OCTOBER 2011

Balitang Unyon

Pagpupugay sa mga Kawani na Naglakbay mula Diliman Tungong Mendiola nitong Setyembre 23

Pagkilos para sa mas mataas na badyet sa edukasyon at iba pang serbisyong panlipunan

ERRATA The article “Archaeology students ﬁnd ‘bahay na bato’ in Batangas” (September 2011, p. 2) should not have had a byline. Harpy Valerio was responsible only for the first two paragraphs and the announcement of the exhibit. The rest of the story was sourced from another blog entry preceding Valerio’s short write-up in http://batangasﬁeldschool. wordpress.com/. The photograph accompanying the news article should have indicated that it is the second bahay na bato excavated in April 2011. We apologize for these errors.

agency-hired naman ay magiging mas malapad ang kanilang area of responsibility. Maghahanap ang UP ng ahensiyang makapagbibigay ng ganitong serbisyo sa mababang halaga. At dahil mas mababa ang gastusin ay maaaring ipasa na lamang ng UP sa empleyado nito ang dagdag na mga gawain. Hindi man natin gusto ay magiging instrumento pa tayo ng pambubusabos sa ating mga kapwa manggagawa sa loob ng UP. Ang pagkaltas sa badyet ng ating mga pampublikong ospital ay nangangahulugan lamang ng panibagong pagtaas sa mga bayarin para sa X-ray, blood chemistry at iba pang eksaminasyon, pagbaba sa kalidad ng serbisyo na epekto ng kakulangan ng sapat na badyet sa pagmamantini ng mga equipment at mga gamit sa laboratoryo. Tayo, lalo na ang mga karaniwang kawani at kapwa mahihirap na mamamayan, ang numero unong tatamaan dahil tayo at ang ating mga mahal sa buhay ay sa PGH o ibang pampublikong ospital tumatakbo para magpagamot. Nalalantad ang tunay na layunin ng budget cut sa mga SUC at pampublikong ospital ay ang unti-unting pagtalikod ng pamahalaang Aquino sa subsidyo sa pampublikong edukasyong tersaryo at mga pampublikong ospital. Itinutulak tayo at iba pang mga SUC at mga ospital na magkomersiyalisa, hindi para sa ating ikauunlad bilang mga kawani at mamamayan kundi para bigyan ng pabor ang mga gustong magnegosyo sa loob ng UP, iba pang SUCs at mga ospital tulad ng FMAB sa PGH at Technohub sa Diliman. Sa mga hamong ito, malinaw ang pakikiisa ng All-UP Workers Union at ng All-UP Academic Employees Union sa laban para sa mas mataas na badyet para sa UP, ibang SUCs at mga pampublikong ospital.

Felix Pariñas Pambansang Pangulo, All-UP Workers Union Hayaan n’yong kahit dito man lang ay mailatag ko ang inyong KABAYANIHAN, at bakit nga ba hindi? Hindi biro ang magmartsa ka nang 13 kilometro mula Diliman hanggang Mendiola, at sa ilalim ng init ng araw. Umaga pa lamang ng Setyembre 23 ay nakita ko na ang mga kapwa kawani at habang tumatagal ay paparami na umabot nang mahigit sa 100 katao. Nagsimula ang martsa nang ganap na 10:30 ng umaga, baon ang mga payong, tubig, streamer ng pagtutol at ng mala-bakal na determinasyong tapusin ang martsa. Ang unang hakbang ng martsa ang pinakamasayang yugto, dahil nang dumaan kami sa College of Engineering at College of Mass Communication ay lalong kumapal ang nagmartsa. Matapos ang palakpakan ng pabati sa mga bagong dating ay muling nagpormasyon at binagtas ang kahabaan ng University Avenue at umikot ng QC Circle, deretso sa Quezon Avenue. Dumaan kami sa ilalim ng ﬂyover ng EDSA at dahil sa haba ng pormasyon ay makikita ang tila sawang pag-ikot nito. Muli nagsigawan sa tuwa ang mga kasama. Muli kong pinagtuunan ng pansin ang mga kasamang kawani at masayang tinatanong kung “KAYA PA?” na sinasagot naman ng ngiti at pagtango. Tumigil kami sandali sa bandang Delta upang magmeryenda ng nilagang saging na saba. Lumakad ulit sa lalong umiinit na sikat ng araw at muling humimpil sa harapan ng gusali ng PLDT sa bandang Welcome Rotonda upang mananghalian ng masarap na ginisang munggo, nagpahinga sandali at nagpatuloy sa lakbayin. Pagdating sa harap ng UST ay nagsanib na ang puwersa ng UP Manila at iba pang SUCs (PNU, PUP, EARIST, TUP at iba pa). Muling umusad ang ngayon ay mas mahabang martsa, dumaaan sa harap ng FEU at sa wakas naabot ang pinal na destinasyon, ang makasaysayang Mendiola! Muli kong hinanap ang mga kasamang kawani. Bakas sa kanilang mga mukha ang kasiyahan, kasiyahang hindi mababayaran dahil alam nila na sa araw ding iyon sila ay naging bahagi ng makasaysayang martsa—martsa para ipagtanggol ang UP, PGH at iba pang SUCs at mga pampublikong ospital bilang mga pampublikong serbisyo para sa bayan. MABUHAY ANG MGA KAWANI NG BAYAN!!! PS: Kasama ako sa nagnag-planking planking sa Mendiola. Photo by Jun Madrid

Kahanay ng mga estudyante ang mga kawani, guro, REPs at kontraktwal ng UP Diliman sa paggigiit sa mas mataas na badyet sa UP, Philippine General Hospital (PGH), ibang state universities and colleges (SUCs) at mga pampublikong ospital. Bilang pagtutol sa hindi sapat na badyet sa edukasyon at mga serbisyong panlipunan, nakiisa ang All-UP Workers Union at AllUP Academic Employees Union sa systemwide na protesta ng komunidad ng UP na ginawa nitong Setyembre, na kung saan ang kulminasyon ay noong Setyembre 23 sa pamamagitan ng martsa mula UP Diliman at UP Manila patungong Mendiola. May sabay na mga kilos protesta sa iba’t ibang kampus ng UP sa Los Baños, Baguio, Iloilo, Cebu, Tacloban at Mindanao. Malinaw ang batayan ng pakikiisa ng mga unyon ng kawani at ng guro at REPS sa tindig ng unibersidad na dapat dagdagan, huwag bawasan, ang pondo ng UP, PGH, iba pang SUCs at public hospitals. Nakikiisa ang ating mga unyon sa mga estudyanteng nagsasabing: Isasara ng budget cut ng UP ang pinto ng pamantasan sa mga maralitang estudyante. Iaanak nito ang pagtaas sa mga bayaring-eskuwela at pagpapanatili sa mga bayaring matagal nang napatunayang lampas sa kakayahan ng mga pangkaraniwang mag-aaral. Nakikiisa ang ating mga unyon sa mga administrador ng UP na nagsasabing: Lubos na kulang ang pinaplanong alokasyon ng pondo ng UP upang tustusan ang pangangailangang magtayo ng mga bagong gusali at maglunsad at magpalawak ng mga programang pang-akademiko at pagsasaliksik alinsunod sa tunguhin nitong mag-alok ng de-kalidad na edukasyon bilang tinaguriang national university na naglilingkod sa bayan. Nakikiisa tayo sa pagkilos dahil tayo, mga kawani, guro at REPS, ay siguradong maaapektuhan sa pagkaltas sa Personal Services (PS) at sa Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE), pati na sa patuloy na kawalan ng Capital Outlay (CO) sa UP, ibang SUCs at mga pampublikong ospital. Ang pagbawi sa alokasyon para sa mga unﬁlled position o item bilang savings na maaaring pagkunan ng pondo ng ating mga benepisyo na nakapaloob sa CNA ay maaapektuhan, kasabay na ng paglambong sa pag-asa na maging regular sana ang ating mga kontraktwal na mga kawani at REPS. Lalo nitong palalalain ang kondisyon ng ating paggampan ng gawain dahil sa multitasking. Nangangahulugan ang pagbawas sa MOOE ng ibayong pagtitipid sa ating mga gastusin tulad ng pag-hire hire sa mga security guard, janitorial service at non-UP contractual contractual. Sa mga

U.P. Newsletter 3

Relief operations para sa mga nasalanta ng mga bagyong Pedring at Quiel

Bilang bahagi ng UP Kilos Na, ang AllUP Workers Union at All-UP Academic Employees Union ay nananawagan para sa mga donasyon (pera, bigas, canned goods, clothes, beddings, towels, toiletries, tubig, sanitary napkins at diapers para sa mga sanggol) para sa mga kababayan nating nasalanta ng mga bagyong Pedring at Quiel. Maaaring dalhin ang mga donasyon sa mga opisina ng AllUP Workers Union sa iba’t ibang kampus (sa UP Diliman, ang opisina ay malapit sa UP Post Ofﬁce) o sa mga opisina ng AllUP Academic Employees Union (sa UP Diliman, ito ay matatagpuan sa Vinzons Hall). Maaari ding tumawag sa telepono ng All-UP Workers Union sa Diliman (9288637) para sa dagdag na impormasyon. Ang pagtulong na ito ay pagpapatuloy sa ginawa ring relief operations noon ng ating mga unyon sa mga kababayan natin pagkatapos ng bagyong Ondoy. Dalawang beses na nagsagawa ng relief operations ang ating unyon—sa isang maralitang komunidad sa Quezon City at sa isang barangay sa Calamba, Laguna na tabi ng Laguna de Bay. Pakikiramay

Pumanaw noong Oktubre 7 si Rolando “Rolly” Bacalangco, retiradong kawani ng UP Los Baños bunga ng matagal nang karamdaman. Si Rolly ay naging Pangulo ng All-UP Workers Union, UPLB chapter at naging kagawad ng Pambansang Lupong Tagapagpaganap ng ating unyon. Matapat at masipag na nanilbihan si Rolly sa mga kapwa kawani at sa unibersidad. Ipinaabot namin ang pakikiramay sa kanyang mga mahal sa buhay.

Mula sa kaliwa: Sina dating Faculty Regent Taguiwalo, AUPAEU President Mykel Andrada, College of Education Dean Dina Ocampo, College of Home Economics Dean Adelaida Mayo, Student Regent Krissy Conti, UP President Pascual, College of Mass Communication Dean Roland Tolentino, at College of Arts and Letters Dean Flora Elena Mirano ay kasama ng iba’t ibang sektor na nagbarikada sa University Avenue noong Setyembre 21, komemorasyon ng deklarasyon ng batas militar at una sa tatlong araw na strike ng UPD laban sa limitadong badyet sa edukason.

Iba’t ibang kampus ng UP, nagprotesta laban sa limitadong badyet sa edukasyon, iba pang (Mula sa pahina 1) batayang serbisyo ng iba’t ibang pagtatanghal at talumpati kontra sa budget cut cut. Sa UP System, lumalabas na 32 porsiyento lang ng hinihinging P17 bilyong pondo ang inaprubahan. Bago pa man dumating ang tinaguriang “historic day of rage” ng Setyembre 23, nagkaroon ng iba’t ibang aktibidad sa mga kampus ng UP bilang paghahanda sa pambansang kilos-protesta. Ito ay bilang pakikiisa sa panawagan para sa mas mataas na badyet, hindi lang para sa edukasyon, kundi maging sa mga batayang serbisyo. Welga ng UPD

Bisperas pa lamang ng welgang itinakda mula Setyembre 21 hanggang 23, mayroon nang tumakbo sa academic oval tangan ang bandilang “UP STRIKES BACK,” mula alas-sais ng umaga hanggang alas-sais ng gabi, ayon sa pahayag ng dating UP Faculty Regent (FR) na si Dr. Judy Taguiwalo sa isang porum noong Setyembre 20 sa Bulwagang Rizal. Sa porum na ito, sinabi rin ni UP

President Alfredo Pascual na kahit idevelop ang lahat ng lupain, hindi pa rin sasapat ang badyet. “May direct linkage ang budget allocation sa (international) ranking na nakukuha natin.” Ayon kay RG Emmanuel Tesa, pangkalahatang kalihim ng Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (STAND-UP) at convener ng UP Kilos Na, noong nakaraang taon pa nabuo ang pormasyon laban sa budget cut na P1.39 bilyon. Ilan sa mga kabilang dito ay ang STAND UP, Ofﬁce of the Student Regent (OSR), Kalipunan ng mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP (KASAMA sa UP), University Student Council (USC), All-UP Workers Union (AUPWU) at All-UP Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU). Noong Setyembre 21, nagkaroon ng malawakang walkout sa UPD. Nagbarikada sa University Avenue kasama si Pangulong Pascual. Tinatayang 1,000 ang nagwalk out at pumunta sa Palma Hall, (Itutuloy sa pahina 4)

4 U.P. Newsletter

OCTOBER 2011

Kapihan tackles pros and cons of divorce bill Andre Encarnacion

Iba’t ibang kampus ng UP, nagprotesta laban sa limitadong badyet sa edukasyon, iba pang batayang serbisyo (Mula sa pahina 3)

Planking sa UPM-PGH

Ayo n k ay C l e ve Ke v i n Ro b e r t Arguelles, convener at tagapagsalita ng UP Manila (UPM) Kilos Na at Pangalawang Tagapangulo ng Konseho ng mga Magaaral ng UPM, “masigasig na pinangunahan (Itutuloy sa pahina 10)

Atty. Jose Sison and Atty. Rita Linda Jimeno debate the advantages and disadvantages of the Divorce Bill at the Bahay ng Alumni.

“the aggrieved party spends for all, while the guilty party receives his or her freedom on a silver platter. Moreover the aggrieved spouse…does not get any support or alimony once the marriage is voided.” “I am speaking for millions of Filipinos who cannot afford to get a nullity of marriage and who remain married to persons who they do not want to live with anymore because it is a miserable marriage,” she said. For his part, Atty. Jose Sison argued against the passage of a divorce law.

He cited the availability of “leg al separation,” adding that this already affords the aggrieved spouse enough remedies to get out of an unbearable marriage through living separately and dividing properties while still upholding the inviolability of marriage. Sison invoked the 1987 Constitution which states that “mar riage, as an inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State” and that “the State recognizes the family as the foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it

shall strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its total development.” “Of course we are the only country now without any divorce law,” Sison said. “But that is not something to be ashamed of…We should be proud to be known as the only country where the greater majority of husbands and wives continue to strive to live together in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, observe mutual love and respect and ﬁdelity and render mutual help and support.” He said, “There are many broken homes and broken families. Disintegrating families result in the proliferation of juvenile delinquencies, drug addiction among teenagers, some even ending up not only in vandalism but in school shooting rampages. There are multiple instances of premarital sex and teenage pregnancies that end up in abortion and many other immoral practices indicative of the moral collapse of society.” Sison said that a g reat majority of married couples “still have solid relationships and wholesome marriages.” He said that enacting the divorce bill is “enacting the exception as the general rule. This is not fair to the many couples now who are trying their best to make their marriage work.” The Kapihan ser ves as a regular venue for discussion of issues. It is sponsored by the UP Office of the Vice-President for Public Affairs and UP Alumni Association.

UCWS, CMC co-produce refereed journal’s issue on media and gender Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc

The UP Center for Women’s Studies (UCWS) and UP Diliman College of Mass Communication (CMC) co-produced a special issue of Review of Women’s Studies on media, gender and sexuality. Dr. Elizabeth Enriquez of CMC Department of Broadcast Communication served as guest editor of this issue which was launched last September 22 at the CMC Auditorium. The Review of Women’s Studies is a refereed journal published twice a year by UCWS. Enriquez said that the ar ticles accepted for publication were culled from term papers submitted in the Media, Gender and Sexuality graduate course she handled from 2007 to 2009. These are “Women as Articulations of NationSpace and an Agency of Insularity: An Analysis of Selected Films by Jeffrey Jeturian” by Katrina Ross Tan; “Women in Filipino Religion-Themed Films” by Erika Jean Cabanawan; “The Way They See It: Gender Readings of Filipino Children’s Programs on Mainstream Television” by Daphne Tatiana TolentinoCanlas; “Media for Justice and Healing: The Case of Philippine Comfort Women Survivors” by Myrna Elizabeth Borromeo; “Women ‘Owning’ Radio: A Case Study of KAKAMMPI’s Radio Experience” by Jean Francis Barcena; “Subverting Zsazsa Zaturnnah: The Bakla, the ‘Real’ Man and the Myth of Acceptance” by David Corpuz; “The Cyborg Search Fatal Error: The Images of MU Online” by Kim Homer Garcia; and “Fluctuating Identities in Cyberspace and Cyberfeminism: A Comparison of Philippine and Korean Experiences” by Jongsuk Ham. The launch featured a paper delivered by Assistant Vice-President for Public Affairs and Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) Director Jose Wendell Capili, reacting to Tan’s paper. Aside from encouraging more writing about Philippine independent filmmaking, in which the CMC is a major player, he also extolled the value of the issue to other UP units. He cited the special issue as a model of two units of the university engaging with each other. Photo by Misael Bacani

kung saan dineklara ni Student Regent (SR) Krissy Conti ang paglulunsad ng welgang bayan bilang isang “intergenerational responsibility.” Nag pahayag din ng suporta sina Palatino, San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito at Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino na nagsabing “short term” at “myopic” ang pagtingin ng mga opisyal na basic education lamang ang nais pondohan. Labimpito sa 19 na dekano ng UPD ang nagpahayag ng suporta sa welga. Kinagabihan, sa pangunguna ni Dekano Adelaida Mayo ng College of Home Economics, inilunsad ang “Budget CUToure,” isang fashion show laban sa budget cut. Sa ikalawang araw ng welga, inilunsad ang alternatibong klase (AKLAS) sa umaga, “Olats sa Cuts! The Station of the Cuts Cultural Program” sa hapon. Sinundan ito ng “Walastik, Dehins sa Cuts, Repapips!” Retro Cultural Night at ng Dorm Campout. Kinabukasan, nagkaroon muna ng almusalang bayang ihinanda ng UP Manininda sa Palma Hall bago magmartsa patungong Mendiola. Nagpalabas din ng memorandum si UPD Chancellor Caesar Saloma na pinapakiusapan ang mga gurong hayaan ang mga estudyanteng sumama sa gaganaping martsa sa Mendiola.

Photo by Jun Madrid

Two legal experts debated the pros and cons of the House Bill No. 1799 (also known as the Divorce Bill) at the “Kapihan ng Bayan sa UP” last August 22 at the Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman. Arguing in favor of the bill, Atty. Rita Linda Jimeno said, “Millions of Filipinos are suffering at the moment.” She said that it is difficult to have a marriage annulled, stressing that there are many fees required of petitioners for a nullity of mar riage based on psychological incapacity, including lawyer’s fees, appearance fees per hearing, psychologist’s fees, transfer of stenographers’ notes per hearing and the actual filing fee, among others. Exclusive of the filing fee, she estimated the cost of annulment of marriage from P189,000 to P329,000. T h e c o n s e q u e n c e s o n t h e t wo petitioners could be similar, according to Jimeno. Besides the financial burden, she said that a woman in an annulment case she handled “had to bear all the costs, despite being the aggrieved party. She had to share with her husband the property she alone purchased. She was not entitled to damages whatsoever even if she got beaten up lots of times and received physical and verbal abuse. And she does not anymore receive support for alimony after the decree has been granted.” Jimeno said that in the Philippines,

Prof. Enriquez raises a copy of the UCWS journal during the launch as Prof. Odine de Guzman of UCWS looks on.

OCTOBER 2011

U.P. Newsletter 5

UPM, Ritemed ink deal to produce herbal medicine Richard Larida

affordable products of high quality.” Atty. Jose Maria Ochave, senior vicepresident for the Business Development Group and Legal Services of Unilab, noted that herbals are now seen as “up-market” products. “T hese are still expensive products based on our costing. The challenge now is to bring their cost further down. Therefore, we would have to do innovations not only in the formulation but also in the plant science and go-to-market strategies so that these can be produced much more efficiently.”

Art by tilde102011

UP Manila (UPM) recently granted Ritemed Philippines, a subsidiary of Unilab, the license to commercially produce lagundi syrup, lagundi tablets, and sambong tablets. UPM Chancellor Ramon Arcadio expressed hope that the new partnership with Ritemed will be an “opportunity to offer to the people the lagundi and sambong technologies as common health remedies. UP Manila regards this partnership with Ritemed Philippines as timely and auspicious in view of the university’s renewed thr ust on research as a vital tool for health improvement.” He added that the signing of the license agreement is a reaffirmation of the significance and impact of UP Manila’s research. In her keynote address, Dr. Nelia Cortes-Maramba, professor emeritus and chair of the National Integrated Re s e a r c h P r o g r a m o n M e d i c i n a l Plants (NIRPROMP), thanked her colleagues, as well as officials of UPM and various government agencies for their contributions to the studies on the efficacy and safety of lagundi and sambong. According to Maramba, NIRPROMP is nearly finished with its Mission 1 which is the development of

symptomatic medicines for cough, asthma, diseases of the joints, stomach ache a n d hyp er ten sio n . It is n ow starting with Mission 2 which is focused on developing drugs to fight pathogens, cancer and cardiac problems. William Verzosa, general manager of

Ritemed Philippines, thanked UP Manila for trusting his company as licensee for the technologies. “We extend our reassurance that these technologies, which are the products of years of scientific study and development, will be utilized optimally to manufacture

9th Y4iT draws more than 25,000 participants Andre Encarnacion

Photo by Misael Bacani

Information Technology’s (IT) reaching more and more people was exemplified by the 9th Philippine Youth Congress in Information Technology (Y4iT) held from September 20 to 24 in UP Diliman. Considered the biggest IT gathering in the country, this year’s Y4iT had various events held at the University Theater, UP Film Institute, Ang Bahay ng Alumni, GT-Toyota Asian Center and Vidal A. Tan Hall. With the theme “Boot-up! Connect! Converge!” this year’s Y4iT featured speakers from the government, academe and industry who gathered together to inspire the country’s next generation of IT leaders. Among the keynote speakers were Senators Vicente Sotto III and Gregorio Honasan. Topping last year’s figure of 23,000, this year’s Y4iT brought in more than 25,000 participants, as students from all over the country went to UP Diliman to listen to the latest breakthroughs and opportunities in the field. Assistant Vice-President for Development and Information Technology Training Center (ITTC) Director Jaime Caro said in his message to the participants that they should “gain not just the latest ideas in IT but a broadened view of how technology plays a part in other fields.” The multidisciplinar y reach and influence of Information Technology was in full display during the fiveday conference as speakers discussed t o p i c s l i ke c l o u d c o m p u t i n g , E learning, cyber crimes, IT and the g ove r n m e n t , g a m e d e ve l o p m e n t , voice acting, creative writing in the computer age, artificial intelligence, IT in the health sector, Inter net marketing and biomimicry. In addition, the cong ress also featured IBM’s First Cloud Computing Training and Certification, the UP ITTC Diagnostic Exam, Linux Professional Institute Certification Exam and the DevCon (Developers Connect) at Y4iT 2011. A special networking session was also held at the University Theater last September 23 where representatives from more than 30 institutions of higher education were invited for cocktails and special awards. T h e 9 t h Y 4 i T wa s o r g a n i z e d by t h e U P I T T C, U P S y s t e m I T Foundation and the Y4iT Volunteer Corps with major sponsors Jobstreet. com, IBM, Accenture, C3 Connect, Acer, Nowcom and Intel. Students fill the University Theater on the opening day of the 9th Y4IT Conference.

UPOU to offer diploma, master of int’l health The Diploma and Master of International Health (D/MIH) programs will be offered by the UP Open University (UPOU) in June 2012. The D/MIH is intended for entry and mid-career health professionals looking for graduate-level education and training to prepare them for supervisory work in government health departments, local and international non-government organizations. UPOU’s courses in international health focus on health promotion and health systems development. Both programs are designed for medical and other professionals working in various fields of health and development like nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, allied medical professions and social work. Applicants should have at least a baccalaureate degree in the sciences. Just like other courses in UPOU, the programs will be offered online. Application period is from December 1, 2011 to February 29, 2012. For details, please visit http://www.upou.edu.ph or send an email to info@upou.edu.ph.

Bachelor of Education Studies at UPOU Anna Cañas

The UP Open University will offer a new online undergraduate program starting May 2012. The Bachelor of Education Studies (BES), with specializations in Alternative Education Systems (AES) and Instructional Design Technology (IDT), is designed for individuals who are interested in education work – including teaching, education research and curriculum and instructional materials development – in diverse contexts. AES majors will develop professional competencies for a career in alternative education sectors like non-for mal, community-based education and workbased learning. They will also learn schoolor institution-based alternative delivery modes like distance education and online learning. IDT majors, on the other hand, will develop expertise in the systematic use of technology to address educational challenges in formal and non-formal learning environments. The deadline for applications is on January 15, 2012. For details, please visit http://www.upou.edu.ph or send an email to info@upou.edu.ph.

6 U.P. Newsletter

OCTOBER 2011

PHL faces serious `ﬁsh kill’ problem

Botanists need to produce Flora of the Philippines book

KIM Quilinguing

“We may be seeing more fish kills and in more areas of the country.” Dr. Gil Jacinto of the UP Marine Science Institute (MSI) made this warning at the Fish Kill Forum last August 5 at the National Institute Physics auditorium, UP Diliman. Jacinto said fish kills are a result of the lack of accountability in the fishing communities and areas of the country. Tracing the fish kills in the country since

communities. Jacinto said that if government agencies, communities and advocacy groups want to end ﬁsh kills, it is important to address environmental issues related to mariculture. Citing her experience in Anda, Pangasinan, UP MSI Director Maria Lourdes San Diego-McGlone said that there was lack of regulation in the construction of ﬁsh cages, as well as in the amount of Photo by Misael Bacani

Prof. Gil Jacinto of the UP Marine Science Institute speaks at the Fish Kill Forum at the National Institute of Physics Auditorium.

the early 2000s up to the present, Jacinto said that mariculture should be monitored closely by government agencies and the local

feeds used for the ﬁsh in the cages. The unregulated cages resulted in the congestion of the waterways while the high amount of

feeds decreased the flow of water in the areas where the cages were constructed. McGlone said that it is important to monitor the compliance of members of the aquaculture industry in the country. She recommended the regulation of the construction of fish cages, the dispersion of feeds in the cages and other practices essential to the production of fish in the areas. If these are left unhampered, the result would not only be fish kills but also environmental degradation. Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS) Director Malou Nicolas said that the increase in the country’s population has also resulted in the increased demand for food sources, including aquatic resources. UP, Nicolas said, can be venue to study such catastrophic events and come up with possible solutions. Dr. Joebert Toledo of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC)-Aquaculture Department said that a concerted effort by different stakeholders in mariculture would be very much essential. Toledo said that the studies of MSI, CIDS and SEAFDEC must be shared with policy-makers. In making the legislators and law-enforcers understand the gravity of fish kills, research and academic institutions can ensure that the government agencies will fully implement laws on the country’s aquatic resources.

KIM Quilinguing

CIDS to create PHL biodiversity information system KIM Quilinguing

possibility of the subject being exploited by enterprising individuals, corporations and even states. While they have tried to convince researchers and scientists from around Southeast Asia to share their studies with the rest of the ASEAN community, they cannot force them to provide all the details required by the documentation. Vergara said that they understand the fear of the researchers and scientists. The fear of scientists in Southeast Asia is shared by some of the country’s research institutions and universities. In presentations made by representatives from UP Los Baños, Ateneo de Naga University and the Marine Science Institute of UP Diliman, the need for limited availability and conﬁdentiality is highlighted over the desire to share knowledge. In the interest of not repeating studies already conducted by previous researchers and institutions and in ensuring the proper identification of species collected, Dr. Eduardo Mendoza of CIDS recommended that a Philippine Biodiversity Information Platform be conceptualized and adopted by

the research institutions in the country. The creation of a singular platform which will link all existing databases of the research institutions could make studies on Philippine biodiversity available not only to Filipinos but also those abroad who are interested in the country’s ﬂora and fauna. Given the concerns of researchers and scientists in the country, Mendoza suggested that the platform have a state-of-the-art security system. The feasibility of the network will be studied further by Mendoza and CIDS. Mendoza is a Balik Scientist who codesigned the EUCLOCK Information System (EUCLIS) which is a system designed to allow European scientists greater interaction and collaboration, as well as an efﬁcient and well-managed exchange of information and ideas. Mendoza graduated magna cum laude in Mathematics at the University of Heidelberg. He later earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Bonn. He is currently an adjunct professor at UP Diliman and UP Los Baños, while at the same time undertaking studies for the CIDS. Photo by Bong Arboleda

“We have so many species, so little forests and so little time.” These were the words of slain UP botanist Leonard Co, said field biologist Ulysses Ferreras at the 1st Philippine Biodiversity Informatics Workshop last July 19 at the Center for Integrative and Development Studies (CIDS), Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman. Wo r k i n g w i t h t h e C e n t e r f o r BioMolecular Science Foundation, Ferreras was among those who attended the event. The workshop’s objective is to create and use information systems to document the studied flora and fauna of the country. According to Assistant Vice-President for Academic Affairs and CIDS Director Malou Nicolas, there is a need to create an infor mation system which would allow researchers, academics and even students to access studies on the country’s biodiversity. UP Diliman Institute of Biology Director Perry Ong said that there have been various studies by both Filipinos and foreigners on the country’s plants and wildlife. The problem lies in not having these studies easily available to other scientists and researchers who are also conducting their own studies on the same species of plants and animals. Dr. Jim La Frankie said that researchers and scientists should have an information database which would allow them to easily input their findings and publish them on the Internet. La Frankie said that that with easily available database software and webpublishing applications, it is not difficult for researchers to share their studies on the Internet. He suggested that those studied and documented by researchers dating back to the American period be among the records filed and published. Dr. Sheila Vergara of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity said that while some scientists are willing to publish what they have studied, there are those who are hesitant due to fears of their work being stolen or copied. She also raised the

Foreground: Prof. Perry Ong of the Institute of Biology monitors the discussion of the workshop as ﬁeld botanist Ulysses Ferreras looks on. Background: Dr. Sheila Vergara of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity answers a question from the audience as Prof. Josefa Pante of the Marine Science Institute and Diosmedado Cocal of the DENR-Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau listen.

Why should there be a book about Philippine flora? Speaking at the Flora of the Philippines Workshop last August 17, Dr. Edwino Fernando of UP Los Baños said that much of the country’s biodiversity remains undocumented and unstudied. The workshop was held at the U P C e n t e r f o r I n t e g r a t ive a n d Developmental Studies, Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman. Fe r n a n d o s a i d t h a t t h e l a s t comprehensive studies on the country’s flora were done by Elmer Drew Merrill during the American colonial period. Merill tried to publish a Flora of the Philippines compilation but was only able to come up with the Flora of Manila in 1912. According to Fernando, a project to document the country’s flora was conceived later on by Merrill’s successor, Eduardo Quisumbing. The project gained more ground with Domingo Madulid establishing the Flora of the Philippines Project. However, it was later shelved. Fernando stressed that it is time to organize a new Flora of the Philippines Project and come up with the long-held dream of publishing a book on the country’s floral biodiversity. Speaking from experience in publishing the Flora in Mindanao, Dr. Victor Amoroso of the Central Mindanao University said that any attempt to document the country’s biodiversity necessitates more botanists. He said that these botanists must not be mere scientists. They must be good writers and familiar with other fields in science and technology, as well as different forms of media. Amoroso said that it is important for a botanist to share his or her knowledge of the country’s flora. According to him, mentoring between senior botanists and junior botanists are encouraged. He also stressed the need to also document the knowledge of local communities of the flora found in their areas. This indigenous knowledge will be essential in identifying the different species of plants found in the country. Considering that there are more than 12,000 species of plants in the Philippines with only a handful of botanists who can study them, Amoroso said that there is a real need to study, document and finally publish a Flora of the Philippines book. For his part, Agham Partylist Rep. Angelo Palmones recognized the efforts of selected botanists during the workshop. Among those given recognition by the House of Representatives through Palmones were slain UP botanist Leonard Co and his departed friend and colleague Dan Lagunzad. The efforts of Co and Lagunzad to promote and enhance the study of the country’s flora are considered essential to the preservation of the country’s remaining forests and plants. Their studies on indigenous trees have also been essential to the restoration of the near extinct forests in several parts of the country. The families of Co and Lagunzad were present to receive the Congressional

(Continued on page 7)

OCTOBER 2011

UP scientists assess effect of 2006 oil spill Lyncen M. Fernandez

Botanists need to produce Flora of the Philippines book (Continued from page 6)

Medal of Recognition Award. Also given recognition were UP Los Baños biologists Ivy Lambio and Sheryl Yap. They were members of the 2011 Philippine Biodiversity Expedition. Lambio and Yap helped in the identiﬁcation, gathering and study of species in the different sites of the expedition from April to June.

Conference focuses on `carbon-neutral’ economy Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta

How important is “carbon neutrality” technology, biofuels, energy conservation Dr. Guiseppe Cavallaro, professor at and low-carbon-emitting technology for Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in an economy? For its 7th conference, the Engineering transportation. The latter includes the in Singapore and program manager of the Research and Development for Technology Automated Guideway Transit system whose Wind and Marine Renewables department of the NTU Energy Research Institute, (ERDT) focused on what ERDT Program prototype is to be built in UP Diliman. As second keynote speaker, Department discussed developments in harnessing Leader and UP Diliman College of the ocean as a source of renewable Engineering Dean Aura Matias energy. On the other hand, Dr. referred to as “a very urgent matter Alex Waibel, director of InterACT that not only affects our country but and professor at Carnegie Mellon is in fact a global concern—that is University (USA) and at Karlsruhe our environment and the growing Institute of Technology (Germany), concern for the effects of climate spoke on developments in language change.” t e ch n o l o g y a n d c r o s s - l i n g u a l With the conference theme computer communications systems. “Sustainability through ERDT: The afternoon featured parallel To w a r d s a C a r b o n - N e u t r a l sessions for the oral presentations E c o n o my,” t h e i s s u e o f t h e of papers in each research track. This environment and climate change was followed by the unveiling of the is indeed a hot topic for ERDT winning design for the new ERDT scholars. logo. Awards and a cash prize of “In 2010 alone, around oneP10,000 each were given to the three third of the P200 million worth best paper contest winners and the of Department of Science and three best poster contest winners. Technolog y (DOST)-approved Since its full implementation research projects were in the in 2008, the ERDT Program has Environment and Infrastructure produced 113 MS and six PhD research track [of the ERDT]. This engineering graduates. It currently underscores the focus and the need hosts 439 MS and 81 PhD scholars for such activities in this area,” among the member-universities of Matias said. the ERDT consortium—Ateneo de She added that “aspiring to be Manila University, Central Luzon State carbon-neutral…is not solely the University, De La Salle University, work of researchers and scientists Mapua Institute of Technology, Conference participant and ERDT Coordinator Nicanor from the Environment and Buenconsejo asks a question during the open forum while Mindanao State University-Iligan Infrastructure track. The gargantuan ERDT Program Leader Aura Matias looks on. Institute of Technology, University of task of addressing climate change San Carlos, UP Diliman and UP Los Baños. and its interconnected impact needs a of Environment and Natural Resources To date, the ERDT has successfully multidisciplinary approach.” Undersecretary Analiza Teh stressed the Held last September 16 at the Manila DENR’s recognition of the efforts of the awarded 92 percent of its target number Hotel, the 7th ERDT Conference featured ERDT to address sustainability concerns of MS scholars and 74 percent of its target two keynote speakers from government. and resource management and utilization. number of PhD scholars. Program Leader As the first keynote speaker, Dr. Amelia Teh enumerated the DENR’s programs and Aura Matias expressed optimism in reaching Guevara, executive director of the DOST- policies in areas such as clean air, clean water, the 100-percent mark as the ERDT Steering Philippine Council for Industry, Energy productive forests, productive lands, viable Committee “continues to campaign and do and Emerging Technology Research and systems and life-support systems, mining road shows in other universities all over Development (PCIEERD), presented and solid waste management. Engineering the Philippines [to invite engineers and the research and development (R&D) research and technology innovation is engineering students] to partake of the programs of DOST and PCIEERD that required in each area. This is particularly opportunity to earn graduate degrees in research engineers and ERDT scholars can true for the DENR’s ongoing research the eight universities that are members of work on with government. agenda to push for forestry plantations as a the ERDT consortium.” The DOST’s priority R&D areas include means to achieve carbon neutrality, as well Coupled with the human resource food security, environment, energy and as research for more accurate estimation of development component of the ERDT is disaster risk reduction and management. carbon density and sequestration rates of its R&D component under four identified On the other hand, the areas of R&D forestry plantations. The latter’s objective research tracks—Energy, Environment under PCIEERD, which is mandated to is to provide information for carbon and Infrastr ucture, Semiconductors spearhead projects related to energy self- trading, carbon accounting and a clean- and Electronics, and Information and sufficiency and alternative and renewable development mechanism. Communication Technolog y. Matias energ y, include the development of The conference also featured two plenary reported that as of May 2011, 59 ERDT small-scale wind turbines, microhydro speakers who spoke on new developments projects amounting to more than P327 turbines, solar technology, waste-to-energy in engineering happening worldwide. million have been approved by the DOST. Photo by Jun Madrid

Has life returned to normal for Guimaras residents affected by the MT Solar I oil spill on August 5, 2006? Five years after the accident, scientists from UP Visayas (UPV) and UP Diliman (UPD) gathered for an update on the oil spill last August 11. They assessed the condition of the mangrove and marine life in Jordan, Guimaras. Updates were given by Prof. Lemnuel Aragones (faculty member of UPD Marine Science Institute and head of the Guimaras Scientific Team), Prof. Resurreccion Sadaba (program manager of UPV Oil Spill Response Program and faculty member of the Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences [DBSCAS]) and Profs. Marie Frances Nievales and Wilfredo Campos also from DBS-CAS. Guimaras Gov. Felipe Hilan Nava welcomed the updates of the UP team because these could help in formulating development policies and programs, particularly in protecting the province’s resources. Sadaba who led extensive studies on the various species of mangroves in the oil-spill area reported that the mangrove population is still showing signs of stress. In general, however, the community is showing signs of recovery. Campos and Nievales said that life forms in the inter-tidal areas, as well as those in the sea grass community, are still recovering from the spill. Campos obser ved an overall decreasing trend in coral cover after the spill. He added that there was also a 60percent reduction in fish biomass from 2006 to 2011, 30-percent reduction in reef fish abundance and 40-percent reduction in mean fish size. He said that the decline can also be caused by overfishing, a trend that is seen in other parts of the country. According to Aragones, fishing is a major economic activity in Guimaras. There are around 150 species of fish from 50 families, with the eastern section of the island having excellent fishing grounds. He said that there has been an increase in fish catch in the past years. Aragones added that there is still oil in certain parts of the areas that were hit by the spill. However, since oil is also biodegradable, it has degraded through the years. The UP team recommended a continuous monitoring to have a better grasp and understanding of this event that affected thousands of people.

U.P. Newsletter 7

UP Visayas, ﬁsheries groups join Miag-ao coastal cleanup Soleadad S. Garibay and Jo Annie D. Corvera

The UP Visayas (UPV) Museum of Natural Sciences, in partnership with the Fisheries Guild (FG), participated in the 26th International Coastal Cleanup last September 13. With this year’s theme “Trash-Free Seas,” the cleanup activity was held at the

‘We are One UP’ – Pascual There is also the establishment of the Padayon UP! Ofﬁce. This will coordinate the university’s public service activities, package its programs and breakthroughs and disseminate these not only to the UP community but also to the government, private sector and general public. To improve UP’s international standing, Pascual emphasized the importance of undertaking an internal academic evaluation

UPV beach front area in Miagao, Iloilo.. About 100 staff and volunteers from student organizations and other groups signified their concern for the environment by signing their names and putting their thumbmarks on a white board. The cleanup area covered around

200 meters of the UPV beach front area from the Villa Marina Beach Resort to the Institute of Aquaculture hatchery laborator y at Barang ay Mambatad. Standardized data cards were distributed to record every item the volunteers picked up.

(Continued from page 1)

and subjecting programs to external reviews by recognized assessment agencies. In addition, student exchanges, foreign academic credit transfer, distance and e-learning, foreign collaborations in graduate theses and faculty fellowships in institutions abroad will be aggressively pursued. Providing the balance will be strong support for a national culture, history and arts program, he said. Operational excellence, on the other

hand, will provide the enabling environment under which academic excellence will flourish. Pascual said that this entails administrative efficiency and financial sustainability. Administrative efficiency includes e-UP, “a system-wide computerization project that will interconnect and harmonize [information and communications technology] systems and infrastructure across all UP campuses.” (Continued on page 10)

8 U.P. Newsletter

OCTOBER 2011

System-wide activities mark UP President’s investiture Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc Left photo by Jun Madrid, right photo courtesy of Rene Estremera

The September 15 investiture of UP President Alfredo Pascual was preceded by activities throughout the UP System as early as last July. UP Diliman

UP Manila

In UP Manila (UPM), activities included the Pahinungod’s medical, dental and surgical missions and health training in Quezon, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite and Batangas Provinces, including the New Bilibid Prison. The College of Allied Medical Professions held a for um on the inter national accreditation of its MS Occupational Therapy program and on campaigning excellence in evidence-based Physical T herapy practice. Meanwhile, the

President Pascual and UPD Chancellor Caesar Saloma view Pascual’s ofﬁcial portrait as UP president during its unveiling at the Bulwagan ng Dangal. Lowering the time capsule for the Oblation Plaza project in UP Mindanao are Regent Gladys Tiongco, President Pascual, alumni leader Sebastian Angliongto, industrialist John Gaisano, Chancellor Gilda Rivero, and alumna Doris Tagle-Villareal. At UP Manila-PGH, the President gets “prayed over” by celebrants of the Mass dedicated to him.

National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions held a forum on developing a research framework and quantitative research designs. UPM’s College of Arts and Sciences held a for um “Interrogating Poverty from Behavioral Science Perspective.” The College of Public Health sponsored a seminar on survival during disaster. On the day of the second “Kapihan” with President Pascual at the College of Medicine, UPM dedicated to Pascual a concelebrated Mass, a roving exhibit on his life and a talk show on demystifying life after 50. Another talk show was held on a separate day on pasma, rayuma, sexuality and memory loss. On September 7, UPM for mally

Public accountability `embedded’ in Constitution Lyncen M. Fernandez

Is public accountability “embedded” in the 1987 Constitution? Atty. Theodore Banderado of the Office of the Ombudsman VisayasIloilo Field Office thinks so. Sec. 1 of the Constitution, said Banderado, states that “The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.” Banderado spoke at the forum on

Photo by Bong Arboleda

In UP Diliman, preinvestiture activities included a “Kapihan” with Pascual on “Research for a Better Philippines and ASEAN” at the Marine Science Institute, the launch of the UP Press e-books and an international symposium featuring “New Perspectives in the Role of Basic Science in Human Health and Disease.” UP Diliman also held a concert featuring all its ofﬁcial performing groups and mounted an art exhibit “The UP Presidency Through the Years” which unveiled the ofﬁcial portrait of President Pascual.

Photo courtesy of the UPV-IPO

public accountability last September 8 at the auditorium of the UP Visayas Iloilo City campus. He said that the word “ombudsman” is from the Swedish term “ombuds ombuds mater mater” meaning protector of the people. The Office of the Ombudsman’s mission is to promote integrity, efficiency and high ethical standards in public service through proactive approaches in graft prevention and public assistance, prompt investigation of complaints a n d a g g r e s s i ve prosecution of cases filed against erring public officials and employees. The forum was a pre-investiture activity in honor of UP President Alfredo Pascual. It was organized by the UPV Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Administration in partnership with the Office of Continuing Education and Pahinungod. A t t y. B a n d e r a d o highlights the words “proactive,” “prompt” and “aggressive” to describe the ideal Ombudsman’s action.

launched its par tnership with the Depar tment of Health. The day after, it held a forum on the CU’s fiscal sustainability and state responsibility. It also held a forum on balancing clinics and research. On the day of the investiture, the College of Pharmacy mounted an exhibit on Philippine indigenous traditional medicine, the College of Nursing conducted a s e m i n a r- wo r k s h o p o n evidence-based practice and the College of Medicine trained participants from the community on pediatric “do-it-yourself.” T he Pahinungod conducted a health training in Palawan and Negros Occidental.

UP Los Baños

In UP Los Baños (UPLB), its hosting of the annual celebration of the National (Continued on page 9)

Pascual visits UP Baguio Jimmy Fong

UP President Alfredo Pascual visited UP Baguio last September 2 to meet with the members of the UP community. With regard to the call to increase state subsidy for UP, Pascual said that the university needs to clarify its role in making the Philippines globally competitive. “We should show what we are doing to those who decide on the budget.” He added that UP must lead in “creating wealth for the country to establish businesses and industry.” His administration is supporting the development of science and technology to create “a mental frame of innovation and creativity…to produce value out of almost nothing, so we are not dependent on foreign investments.” Pascual also challenged those in the social sciences and humanities to “shape and articulate our national identity.” The general education program, he said, must help students prepare to live in the real world. Aside from academic excellence, Pascual also said that UP needs to focus on operational excellence. He said that UP must show the country how to unite and to serve as a model community where democratic governance works and where transparency, accountability and collegiality are truly practiced. He said that having 70 organizations at UP Baguio which has only 2,000 students may not be a good sign of unity but of splintering. “We should show the country we can be one.” Pascual said that UP employees deserve

better benefits, including health and housing. These, however, need to be supported by sustainable resources and arrangements have to be made with other institutions. He said that he is looking at wasteful expenses that can be prevented and ﬁguring out where savings can be made. He noted that UP spends much on utilities due to water leaks, as well as on security measures that are not always dependable. With regard to tuition, Pascual said that UP should explore ways to help poor but bright students to pass the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) so that they can avail of the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP). He said UP can no longer go back to imposing only one tuition rate for all students who, he said, are all subsidized. He said that even the students who pay P600 to P1,000 per unit still receive government subsidy. For her part, Management Prof. Erlinda Palaganas recommended that the UP administration review its admission policy and that a program be institutionalized to help deserving students to enter UP. Pascual’s visit was organized by the AllUP Workers Union-UP Baguio Chapter as part of the UP president’s pre-investiture activities. It may be recalled that Pascual was formally vested with powers as UP’s 20th president last September 15.

OCTOBER 2011

U.P. Newsletter 9

International scientiﬁc symposium marks Pascual investiture Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc Photo by Bong Arboleda

Prof. Olivera hosts an open forum on the lecture of Prof. Davis.

A symposium on science, basic research and society featuring international scientific pioneers on molecular biolog y was held last

UP Visayas holds forum on best teaching practices Anna Razel L. Ramirez

UP Visayas held a forum on “Best Teaching Practices” last September 2 at the Training Room 1 of the Graduate and Continuing Education Building, Iloilo City campus. A pre-investiture activity in honor of UP President Alfredo Pascual, the forum had four outstanding teachers as panelists: Profs. Sonia Formacion (Metrobank 2005 Outstanding Teacher Awardee), Alicia Mag os (Metrobank 1999 Outstanding Te a c h e r Aw a r d e e ) , D o m i n i q u e M a q u i r a n ( 2 0 1 0 C h a n c e l l o r ’s Awardee as Outstanding Assistant Professor) and John Paul Yusiong ( 2 0 0 9 C h a n c e l l o r ’s Awa r d e e a s Outstanding Assistant Professor). T he for um was org anized by the Office of Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

System-wide activities mark UP President’s investiture (Continued from page 8)

Science and Technology Week with the Los Baños Science Community was done in honor of Pascual’s investiture. It also held a tree-planting activity at its Philippinensis row, Makiling Botanic Gardens and Silangan Road. UPLB also launched a Molawin Creek beautiﬁcation project. UP Visayas

UP Visayas (UPV) held lectures on engineering food safety, life stories of youth offenders, women fishers and best teaching practices. Lectures were also delivered on Chitosa-coated abaca fiber, basics of Stirling numbers and animal senses in fisheries. Outside campus, two faculty members delivered papers on fisheries adaptability to climate change and others participated in a regional food conference. UPV also organized a seminar on public accountability with the Office of the Ombudsman for Visayas.

September 12 to mark the investiture o f A l f r e d o Pa s c u a l a s U P ’s 2 0 t h president. Held at the National Institute of

Physics in UP Diliman, the symposium highlighted the latest discoveries in entomology, biochemistry, molecular diagnostics and genetics which have immediate impact on society. Entomology Prof. Michael Adams of the University of California Riverside, Biology Prof. Baldomero Olivera of the University of Utah, Patholog y P r o f. D av i d H i l l y a r d a l s o o f t h e University of Utah and Biochemistry and Genetics Prof. Ronald Davis of Stanford University discussed their recent works and research directions. Adams presented his findings from his study of the chemical basis of the molting of insects which gives new ideas for pest control. Olivera, a UP alumnus, explained how numerous venoms evolved for the sur vival of marine animals, the chemical interactions with the receiver’s body and how these could be used to treat human conditions, particularly

chronic pain. Hillyard showed how scientific research on Hepatitis at the molecular level allowed researchers to manage new treatments, identify other diseases, introduce genotype-driven therapy and improve pharmacology. Davis, 2011 Gruber Genetics Prize winner, nar rated both the research practice and the prolific research output at the Genome Technolog y Center of Stanford which is said to be the biotechnology hub of the world. As the center’s director, he stressed the benefits of making people from different disciplines work together to solve problems. The symposium is co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs and the Philippine Genome Center, a new research unit of UP that hopes to coordinate basic research in molecular genetics and genomics.

UPV holds 4th Graduate Research Conference Around 400 hundred participants from the Visayas and from Regions I, II and IV attended the UP Visayas 4th Graduate Research Conference last September 24 at the UPV Auditorium, Iloilo City. T he conference, which had the theme “Addressing the Challenge of Changing Environments,” was held as a post-investiture activity in honor of Alfredo Pascual, the 20th President of UP. The conference served as a venue for UPV graduate students and alumni to share experiences and findings of researches they have conducted in the fields of education, management, natural sciences and fisheries. Dr. Patricia Licuanan, chairperson

of the Commission on Higher Education and co-chair of the UP Board of Regents, was keynote speaker. Dr. Rogelio Florete Sr., chairperson of the Florete Group of Companies, was guest speaker for the Management and Education cluster. Dr. Evelyn Ayson represented Dr. Joebert Toledo, chief of the Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, as guest speaker for the Natural Sciences and Fisheries cluster. Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog of Iloilo City gave a special message to the conference participants. According to Licuanan, recent studies show that “higher education pulls one from pover ty and not really basic education…and in

higher education, research is a major a r e a o f ch a l l e n g e. H e n c e, h i g h e r education institutions that aspire to become universities should be doing research.” Florete discussed how hard work has paid off in creating one of the country’s investments frontrunners. He revealed his company’s plans to provide bulk water to Iloilo City. Fo r h e r p a r t , Ay s o n p r e s e n t e d statistics on the effects of climate change in the environment, particularly fisheries, on a global scale. Mabilog said that there are plans to improve the investment climate in Iloilo City. He stressed the importance of higher education institutions (HEIs) in development.

UPV plants trees for Pascual investiture Lyncen M. Fernandez

“ Tr e e s f o r PA E P ( P r o t e c t i o n , Abundance, Enjoyment and Prosperity)” was how UP Visayas (UPV) called its treeplanting event, a pre-investiture activity for UP President Alfredo E. Pascual. The threat of rain did not discourage more than 700 faculty members, staff and students from participating in the event last August 24 at the UPV Tree Park in the Miagao campus. UPV Chancellor Minda Formacion, Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs Leonor Santos, Vice-Chancellor for

Research and Extension Jane Geduspan and Vice-Chancellor for Planning and Development Alice Joan Ferrer, along with the heads of various ofﬁces and units, led the planting of around 1,700 narra and balungga tree saplings. After the tree planting, the participants went to the UPV covered court for a brief program. In a message read by Formacion, Pascual said that he was humbled by UPV’s gesture of designating a treeplanting activity as an event to mark his

investiture as UP’s 20th President. He said, “UP Visayas has had various initiatives as an academic institute to contribute to the environmental preservation and enhancement of our host provinces, specifically as we respond to the mandate of pioneering research and development of not only fisheries and ocean sciences but also other local natural resources.” The activity was organized by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Planning and Development in cooperation with the Site Development and Reforestation Project.

Trees were planted at a site in UPV Tacloban College proposed for a School of Technology building. Last August 24, a tree-planting activity called “Trees for PAEP (Protection, Abundance, Enjoyment and Prosperity) was held at the Miagao campus.

Annex Building and held a groundbreaking ceremony for the landscaping of the Oblation Plaza. UPMin also organized a cultural presentation titled “Pahalipay” for Pascual.

Effectiveness in an e-University in the 21st Century,” and roundtable discussion with the UP Press titled “Open Education Resources and the University: Participating in the Knowledge Commons” were dedicated to Pascual’s investiture.

UP Mindanao

UP Mindanao (UPMin) spearheaded the 3 r d A g r i b u s i n e s s E c o n o m i c s Conference, conducted the for um “Science for Society” for responsible and socially-relevant scientific knowledge and held a lecture on general education and its liberal arts philosophy. Last September 9, with Pascual as guest, UPMin inaugurated the Dorm

UP Baguio

UP Baguio (UPB) held a tree-planting activity, the awarding ceremony for the UP Baguio Jubilee Research and Creative Work Awards and the launch of an issue of The Cordillera Review. September 13 was reserved for professorial chair lectures and lectures of research awardees. UP Open University

The UP Open University’s (UPOU) faculty congress with the theme “Teaching

UP Cebu College

UP Cebu College’s pre-investiture activities included a cook-out strike for Filipinism and Filipino identity; cultural presentations in time for Filipino, Cebuano and English Month; and an exhibit of self-portraits by professors and alumni. Lectures on developing localized software for English and prototype for CebuanoEnglish translation were also held.

10 U.P. Newsletter

OCTOBER 2011 From left to right: Dr. Manuel Agulto, UP Scientist II Rex Victor Cruz and Prof.Rommel Espinosa

Cruz has a rank of Professor 12 and has served as dean of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources. Plans for UP Visayas

BOR appoints new UPM, UPLB, UPV chancellors training centers; a culture of entrepreneurship in all university activities; and non-academic gender- and race-sensitive equal-opportunity activities and interactions to encourage public discourse and personal growth. Agulto has served as director of the Institute of Ophthalmology and has a rank of Professor 6 at the College of Medicine. Plans for UP Los Baños

Cruz said he will work to make UPLB truly a national university. UPLB, he said, “has

‘We are One UP’ – Pascual This endeavor will tie all units together into One UP and will improve information sharing and accessibility, strengthen decisionmaking, simplify operations, speed up service delivery, reduce operational costs and promote personnel well-being. Green UP is another project that will promote administrative efﬁciency. This aims to make all campuses environment-friendly while saving on the costs of utilities. Green UP will also move for the formulation of system-wide guidelines on building designs and landscapes. Effective human resources management also falls under administrative efficiency and, according to Pascual, requires matching skills to tasks, reasonable working hours, compensation of work beyond the call of duty, rewarding excellent performance,

to grow further, strive harder and better, to be a genuine public service university, a relevant research university and an ever growing graduate university.” He promised to help the UP president develop an alternative admission process to enhance the access of deserving students from poor and indigenous groups; strategies for sustainable, optimal and most proﬁtable use of Makiling Forest Reserve and other real properties of UP; and mechanisms to facilitate delivery of technical assistance,

expert services, information and technology to national and local governments, local communities, private sector and the civil society. He will also ensure at least a monthly meeting with the UPLB Executive and Management Committee; student representation in these committees; and regular consultation with students. Among his research academic and resource generation thrusts is working for innovation and interdisciplinary programs and creating a Resource Generation Ofﬁce.

As associate professor of physics who has served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Espinosa has well-defined measures to enhance UPV’s academic and research status. His academic plans for UPV include institution of new GE courses and expansion of the Philippine Studies domain; a PhD program in Marine or Ocean Sciences that will have multidisciplinary streams; and a review of all academic programs with focus on those which have spiraling enrollment rates coupled with an active recruitment campaign. His plans in research include consolidation and rationalization of research bodies under a Thrusts and Programs Master Plan; and the re-direction of the Office of the ViceChancellor for Research and Extension to prioritize research and publication. He also expressed support for creative writing workshops. Espinosa vowed to maximize campus fiber-optic backbone to digitize administrative processes, utilize land grants and implement the Iloilo City campus landuse plan.

He reported that the UP Board of Regents has already approved the Revised UP Intellectual Property Rights Policy, which will “guide and facilitate technology transfer.” This will not only help the university fulﬁll its mandate as a research and public service institution but is also an effective way of achieving ﬁnancial sustainability. Apart from the commercialization of these assets, he also talked about harnessing alumni relations to encourage UP alumni not just to make financial donations but to share their expertise and networks with the university. The UP administration, with alumni support, plans to launch a comprehensive fund-raising campaign to augment the university’s endowment funds. As the national university, UP is “laden

with great responsibilities.” Pascual lamented the university’s limited budget, which hampers its ability to support more poor students who have been admitted but cannot enroll because of ﬁnancial inadequacy and renders it unable to provide commensurate salaries to its faculty and researchers, thereby losing them to other universities and the private sector. He stressed that while UP has achieved excellence despite the limitations, it must continue to demand from the government the ﬁnancial support it rightfully deserves as the national university. The government must realize that “support for UP is not an expense, but an investment.” In closing, Pascual said, “We must succeed not because we have a reputation to keep but because we have a country to serve.”

(Continued from page 1)

(Continued from page 7)

providing a suitable work environment and granting equitable employee benefits. Becoming the country’s leader in achieving a “just and equitable employment relations system” is another way of realizing goals toward administrative efficiency. This means addressing housing and health care concerns of faculty and staff and establishing a more effective way of resolving grievances and implementing social contracts. The other aspect of operational excellence is financial sustainability which can be attained by maximizing the potential of UP’s land assets. The first step is the crafting of a Master Development Plan that will cover all campuses, landholdings and land grants. This plan will govern all developments of land assets for revenue generation. Another asset Pascual mentioned is intellectual property (IP).

Iba’t ibang kampus ng UP, nagprotesta laban sa limitadong badyet sa edukasyon, iba pang (Mula sa pahina 4) batayang serbisyo ng UPM Kilos Na ang kampanya para ikasa ang welga at makapagbuo ng pagkakaisa sa iba’t-ibang sektor sa loob ng pamantasan.” Dagdag pa ni Arguelles, noong Setyembre 22 ay “naglunsad ang UPM ng solidarity program, snake rally, boodle fight, planking sa Faura Street at sa PGH plaza, educational discusion (ED) festival, cultural night, smores night with film showing showing, at overnight vigil.” Nagkaroon din ng flash dance, signature vigil campaign at pakikipag-usap sa mga opisyal ng pamantasan sa paglahok sa protesta. Nagpahayag ng pakikiisa sina Dekano Reynaldo Imperial ng College of Arts and Sciences at PGH Director Jose Gonzales. Noon namang Setyembre 23, muling naglunsad ng solidarity program at snake rally na lumundo sa martsa patungong Mendiola. Ayon kay Arguelles, tinatayang 1,000 hanggang 1,500 ang lumahok sa kilos-protesta. Nagtanghal ng budget cut dance ang UPM Kilos Na sa Mendiola. Pose to Oppose ng UPLB

Sinabi naman ni Allen Lemence, tagapagsalita ng Save Our Education Movement (SOEM), na ang kanyang

organisasyon ay nagsisilbing chapter ng UP Kilos Na sa UP Los Baños (UPLB). Sa pangunguna ni Pura Beatriz Valle, tagapangulo ng Konseho ng mga Magaaral ng UPLB, naglunsad ng welga ang SOEM sa Timog Katagalugan (TK), kasama ng AUPWU. Sumuporta rin sa panawagan para sa mas mataas na badyet sa batayang serbisyo ang ilang mga guro. “Araw-araw nagkaroon ng noise barrage sa humanities building mula September 20,” sabi ni Lemence. Naglunsad din sa Facebook ng kampanyang “Strike a Pose to Oppose Budget Cut,” kung saan naglagay ng mga islogan ang mga estudyante, guro, at kawani sa kanilang mga litrato. Nagkaroon din ng “Funeral March,” kung saan nagbitbit ang mga estudyante ng kabaong na may nakasulat na “RIP Education.” Nagprusisyon din ang mga ito nang may dalang mga krus at sinunog ang nasabing kabaong sa Oblation Grounds. Sa komemorasyon ng Batas Militar noong Setyembre 21, nagnag-planking planking ang mga estudyante sa Oblation Grounds bilang bahagi ng multisektoral na mobilisasyong dinaluhan ng Bayan Muna Youth-TK, Anakbayan-TK, Gabriela Youth-TK at

League of Filipino Students-UPLB (LFS). Tuluy-tuloy din ang pagsasagawa ng roomto-room discussions, film showing at mobile art exhibit exhibit. Ayon kay Lemence, 100 ang nag-planking at bumuo ng katagang “UP nag-planking STRIKES BACK” sa Oblation Grounds noong Setyembre 23. Bilang pakikiisa sa panawagan sa mas mataas na badyet sa batayang serbisyo, 800 ang nagmartsa mula UPLB gate hanggang Junction. Human Chain ng UP Baguio

Dalawang linggo ang naging paghahanda para sa welga sa Baguio na sinuportahan ng Alliance of Concerned Students, AUPWU, AUPAEU at Outcrop, ang opisyal na pahayagan ng mga estudyante ng UP Baguio (UPB), ayon sa punong patnugot nitong si Jessa Paquibot. Tatlong dekano ang nagpahayag ng suporta sa kampanya matapos kausapin ng mga estudyante—sina Dean Raymundo Rovillos ng College of Social Sciences, Dean Purificacion Delima ng College of Arts and Communication at Dean Wilfredo Alangui ng College of Science. Naglunsad ang Outcr op at ilang miyembro ng Konseho ng mga Mag-aaral

sa UPB ng room-to-room discussions at may mga nagnag-freeze freeze mob din. Noong Setyembre 20, nagkaroon ng budget cut forum kung saan nagsalita si Palatino. Sa porum na ito, ayon kay Paquibot, lahat ng administrador ay pumirma sa unity statement laban sa budget cut. Noong Setyembre 22, nagkaroon ng programa kung saan tumugtog at nagkaroon ng mga pagpapahayag ng pakikiisa ang iba’t ibang organisasyon. Tinatayang 600 ang sumama sa kilos-protesta noong Setyembre 23 at nadagdagan pa ito nang sumama ang iba pang sektor na sumusuporta sa kampanya. Ayon kay Paquibot, sinimulan ang welga sa isang misa at sinundan ito ng snake rally sa buong kampus. “Doon sa mismong unity march, nagbigay ng solidarity message ang isang dean, tapos lumarga ang martsa na binuo ng mass organizations, deans, professors, students at employees.” “Sa Session Road,” dagdag pa nito, “nagkaroon ng flash dance. Sa Malcolm Square naman nagkaroon ng human chain at solidarity messages na nagpapaliwanag na rin kung para saan ang mga pagkilos sa Baguio at sa buong bansa.”

(Itutuloy sa pahina 11)

OCTOBER 2011

U.P. Newsletter 11 Photo by Celeste Llaneta

UP Eng’g students, professors in race for speed, fuel efﬁciency Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta

A team of students and faculty members from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, UP Diliman College of Engineering represented the country in the final leg of the “Driving Innovation—Bosch Power Tools Asia Cordless Race 2011.” The international go-kart construction and race competition—the first of its kind in Asia—was held from September 21 to 23 at the foot of the Juyongguan Great Wall in Beijing, China. The team from UP, the UPME Drill Drivers, placed second in the Philippine leg of the Bosch Cordless Race held at the Boomland Kart Track in Pasay City last May 15. The interschool go-kart construction and race competition saw the participation of teams from the University of Mindanao, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Don Bosco Technical College, Technological Institute of the Philippines, Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), Rizal Technological University and University of San Carlos. First-placer Team Siklab from MIT and the UPME Drill Drivers represented the Philippines in the Asian Bosch Power Tools Cordless Race, going up against the best two university teams from China, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand. According to team adviser and UP Mechanical Engineering Prof. Ralph Jose, the UP Drill Drivers ranked third in the first event, the 100-meter dash, which consisted of a straight, 100-meter race track. Teams representing Thailand and Korea ranked first and second, respectively. In the main event, consisting of four laps around a go-kart race-track constructed in a parking lot beside the Great Wall, a team from Thailand ranked first, while MIT’s Team Siklab ranked fourth and the UP Drill Drivers ranked seventh. The UP Mechanical Engineering Drill Drivers consist of Jose and Prof. Joseph Gerard Reyes as team advisers; Carlo Emile Garcia as team leader; and Rainier Natividad, Jose Manuel Marcon III, John Luis Yu and Enrico Mostoles as members. The modified go-karts that participated in the race all ran on one common power source: Bosch’s four new Cordless Comni GSB 18 VLi Professional power drills, which in turn run on premium lithium-ion batteries. “The cordless drills were used as engines,” Jose said. “We connected the drills to the wheels [using] some mechanism to transfer the motion of the drill to the wheels. That’s one of the challenges. The second challenge is that we could not dismantle the drills. If you take the drills out of the go-kart, you must still be able

to use them as drills.” In response to this challenge, the UP Drill Drivers based their go-kart design on the concept of a bicycle, with the drills acting as pedals to power several gears that would turn the wheels. Designing the gokart took two months, while construction and fabrication took about a month, with two weeks of testing and fine-tuning in time for the local race last May, and minor repairs prior to the Asian race. “The students were well-satisfied with what they had achieved,” Jose said. “We don’t know if there will be another competition next year, but for sure if we get an invitation [we will accept]. Especially now that we know what we did right and what our areas for improvement are. We learned a lot [from this race] and we also learned a lot from the teams from the other countries.” Learning from this first experience and being better prepared for the next challenge is also the watchword for the students of the UP Mechanical Engineering Department and the Power Electronics Laboratory of the UP Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute who will succeed Team Kidlat in the 2012 Shell Eco-Marathon Asia. Seven Philippine teams participated in the 2nd Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2011 held in Sepang International Circuit (SIC) in Malaysia from July 6 to 9. The teams were from De La Salle University, Don Bosco Technical College, Mapua Institute of Technology, Technological Institute of the Philippines Manila, University of Santo Tomas and UP Diliman. The UP Team which participated for the first time won the Diesel Fuel Award in the Urban Concept category, a cash prize of US$800 and a trophy. Their vehicle entry, a diesel-electric hybrid dubbed “Kidlat,” won the Diesel Fuel Award in the Urban Concept category, running 59.9 kms around the SIC’s North Track on a single liter of fuel. “There were over 20 entries in the Urban Concept categor y, and those entries were categorized according to the vehicle’s power source—diesel, gasoline, electric battery or solar power. Out of those 20 entries, 19 used conventional fuel, diesel or gas. We placed first in the diesel category,” Mechanical Group Head and Team Manager Tito Eusebio, Jr. said. He added that unlike conventional car races, the Shell Eco-Marathon ranked entries according to fuel efficiency. With registration now ongoing for the 2012 Shell Eco-Marathon Asia, the UPME and EEEI students and faculty are gearing up for the challenge as the members of the

UPME Drill Drivers team adviser Ralph Jose holds up the check the team won during the May 2011 Philippine leg of the Bosch Power Tools Asia Cordless Race.

new team are being drawn up. The UP College of Engineering is also searching for a sponsor to support the UP Team, just as Meralco, through Manuel V. Pangilinan, donated funding for Team Kidlat. “This year, it was our first time to

Iba’t ibang kampus ng UP, nagprotesta laban sa limitadong badyet sa edukasyon, iba pang (Mula sa pahina 10) batayang serbisyo Black Day ng UP Visayas

Photo by Jun Madrid

Patuloy sa pagmartsa ang delegasyon ng UPD sa gitna ng mainit na sikat ng araw noong Setyembre 23. Kuha ito sa Quezon Avenue habang papunta ang delegasyon sa Mendiola.

participate, so all our knowledge about the competition came from our research and information from other schools or teams,” Eusebio said. “[For the next race], we are going to be more competitive, because now we have ﬁrst-hand experience and we know better what to do.”

“Hindi naging hadlang ang sabaysabay na exam sa mga iskolar ng bayan ng Visayas sa pagpapahayag ng disgusto sa budget cut. Malawakang room-to-room campaigns at EDs ( educational discussions discussions) ang inilunsad ng mg a kampus, sa pangunguna ng UPV Kilos Na,” sabi ni Angeli Louise Cando, pambansang tagapangulo ng KASAMA sa UP at Liaison for UPV Iloilo ng OSR. Ayon kay Cando, naglunsad ang UPV sa Iloilo ng All-Leaders’ Press Conference sa pangunguna ng College of Management Student Council (CMSC) at LFS. Ikinasa rin ang Blackout, Blackboard and Post-it Campaigns at sunud-sunod na planking sa apat na magkakaibang lugar sa loob ng Miagao campus. Dagdag pa niya, “Nagbigay ng bukas na pahayag sa buong UPV Community si Dean Rommel Espinosa ng Kolehiyo ng Sining at Agham sa UPV Iloilo. Nagpahayag din ng suporta ang mga kawani at guro sa pangunguna ng AUPAEU at AUPWU.” Sa Tacloban, naglunsad ng Budget Cut For um sa pangunguna ng LFS kung saan nagpahayag ng suporta sina Prof. Anna Malindog at Dean Margarita dela Cruz, ang dekano ng kolehiyo. Sa Cebu, naglunsad naman ng filmshowing at diskusyon sa pangunguna ng Nagkahiusang Kusog sa mga Estudyante (NKE) at LFS. “Sa mismong araw ng system-wide and nationwide strike, idineklara ng units ng UPV na black day ang Friday. Pitumpu hang g ang 80 porsiyento ng buong populasyon ang nagsuot ng itim na damit bilang pagpapakita ng pagtutol sa panibag ong tapyas sa pondo ng edukasyon at sektor ng serbisyong panlipunan,” dagdag pa ni Cando. Humigit-kumulang 800 ang dumalo sa kilos-protesta sa Iloilo at Tacloban na nilahukan ng mga estudyante, guro, kawani at administrador. Naging bahagi rin ng programa ang planking sa kalsada. Ayon kay Cando, mismong si Pangulong

Pascual ay nagbigay ng pahayag ng pagsuporta sa laban ng mas mataas na subsidyo para sa UP at edukasyon. Isang candle-lighting activity ang ginawang culminating activity ng UP Cebu para sa strike. Huni ni Oble ng UP Mindanao

“A n g U P M i n d a n a o n a m a n ay naglunsad ng kampanyang OPPOSE BUDGET CUT,” sabi ni Rendell Ryan Cagula, tagapangulo ng UP Mindanao University Student Council. Ayon kay Cagula, noong Setyembre 16, tinalakay ang pangkalahatang sitwasyon ng UP at ng sektor ng edukasyon sa Education Forum. Noong Setyembre 20 naman inilunsad ang Black Ribbon Day at kinabukasan ang Black Shirt Day at Candle Lighting Program. Noong Setyembre 22 inilunsad ang kilos-protesta. Kabilang sa mga aktibidad ang planking at ang pagkakasa ng “Huni ni Oble,” kung saan sabayang sumipol ang mga estudyante ng “UP Naming Mahal.” Ang kampanya ay nilahukan ng iba’t ibang organisasyon ng mga estudyante, kabilang ang Himati, ang opisyal na pahayagan ng mga estudyante ng UP Mindanao. “Mula sa admin, faculty at staff staff, nagpakita ng suporta si Prop. Reynaldo Abad, dean ng College of Science and Mathematics (CSM), pati na rin ang AUPWU at AUPAEU Mindanao Chapter,” dagdag pa ni Cagula. Panata at Pagpapatuloy

Ayo n k ay Ve n c e r C r i s o s t o m o, tagapagsalita ng Kilos na Laban sa Budget Cut at secretary-general ng Kabataan Partylist, mali ang sinasabi ng Malakanyang na may dagdag sa pondo sa edukasyon dahil Department of Budget and Management (DBM) ang mapagpasya kung paano gagamitin ang sinasabing “dagdag.” Ipinahayag ni Pangulong Pascual noong Setyembre 20 sa isang porum na “parang pakitang-tao lang ang nangyayari. Hindi natin nahahawakan (ang pondo), hindi binibigay ng DBM at executive branch ang pagde-decide decide kung ire-release.”

U.P. Newsletter

OCTOBER 2011

UP Pep Squad retains cheerdance title The UP Pep Squad retained its title as cheerdance champions in the 2011 UAAP Cheerdance Competition (CDC) last September 16 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City. The UP Pep Squad perfor med a unique routine of dance and stunts before more than 21,000 spectators and thousands more watching the live telecast on television. Besting seven other cheering squads from other member-universities of the UAAP, the UP Pep Squad got the top spot for the second consecutive year with a Madonna-inspired look, complete with blonde hairstyles and leather suits. The win is the seventh since the UP Pep Squad was formed in 1993. The Pep Squad previously won the championship in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2008 and 2010. The UP Pep Squad was also chosen as the champions for the group stunts competition, the first time this category was included in the CDC. UP Pep Squad member Nesza Salvador was named the Samsung Cheerdance Stunner. The UP Pep Squad is preparing for the 6th World Cheerleading Championship in Hong Kong this November. The UP-based squad will be part of the national team which will represent the country. Other team members will be chosen from other Philippine colleges and universities.

Photo by Misael Bacani

KIM Quilinguing

UP Pep Squad members pass by the Quezon Hall in their post-win celebration on September 20.

This is not the first time that UP Pep Squad members will represent the country. In 2002, members of the UP Pep Squad participated in the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea. Several members of the squad also competed later on in the 2008 Cheerleading Asia International Open in Tokyo, Japan. The squad also competed in the 2009 Cheerleading Asia International Open in Tokyo, where the team bagged third place in the international category. In their preparations for the competition

later this year, the UP Pep Squad is asking for support for some of their equipment. Former UP Diliman Vice-Chancellor for Community Affairs Grace Gregorio and Art Studies Prof. Eloi Hernandez organized a fund drive for new mats for the squad. In an article which came out in Interaksyon. com, the professors said that the squad needs at least 300 new mats for training, with each mat costing around P900. For more details on the project, please contact graciegregorio@gmail.com.

UP jins, tankers win in UAAP KIM Quilinguing Photo courtesy of Rene Matias

Top photo: The UP Taekwondo Team during the awarding ceremonies at the Filoil Flying V Arena, San Juan on September 17. Bottom photo: The UP Varsity Swimming Team at the awarding rites in Laguna. Photo by Chonny Chan

UP remains a formidable force in the UAAP taekwondo and swimming competitions. The UP Men’s Taekwondo Team bag ged the gold medal in the Team Poomsae or demonstration category of the 74th Season of the UAAP. Team member Anthony Matias also bagged the silver medal for individual demonstration. The UP Women’s Taekwondo Team earned the bronze medal in the Team Poomsae categ or y. Team members Christine Baldonado and Junji Lidasan ear ned silver medals in the mixed pair demonstration. Baldonado also bagged a bronze medal in the individual demonstration. In the Kyorugi or sparring category, the UP Women’s Taekwondo Team bagged third place, while the Men’s Team ended the season in fourth place. This season’s games were held last September 13 and 17 at the Filoil Flying V Arena, San Juan. The UP Varsity Swimming Team (UPVST) also reaped awards for the national university at the Trace Aquatics Center in Los Baños, Laguna last September 24 and 25. The Women’s Team broke two UAAP records as they swam to affirm their dominance of the tank. Team members Aphrodite Magbanlac, Antoinette Aquino and Tiara Tudio broke the 1969 Far Eastern University record in the 4x100-meter medley. The trio broke the 42-year old record by seven seconds at 4 minutes and 42.55 seconds. UPVST member Clair Adorna also broke UP alumna and former swim team member Lucia Dacanay’s record in the 50-

meter breaststroke by 0.93 seconds when she finished at 30.63 seconds. Dacanay set the record in 2007 at 31.56 seconds. From being last season’s champions,

the Men’s Swim Team, on the other hand, landed in fourth place this year. (With reports from Rene Matias, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Malaya) Malaya

Timpalak sa pagsulat ng sanaysay tungkol kay Rizal Bilang pag gunita sa ika-150 anibersar yo ng kapanganakan ni Jose Rizal, inilunsad ng Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (UP KAL) at MyRizal, sa pamamagitan ng Opisina ng Tsanselor ng UP Diliman, ang isang timpalak sa pagsulat ng sanaysay. Bukas ang timpalak sa mga Filipinong estudyante sa kolehiyo (hindi-gradwado) sa buong bansa. Dalawa ang kategorya ng timpalak— sanaysay sa wikang Filipino at sanaysay sa wikang Ingles. Dapat na orihinal ang sanaysay na may habang 5,000 salita at hindi pa nalalathala ((print print o online). Ang tema ng timpalak ay “Ang Diwa ni Rizal sa Kasalukuyan.” Isang sanaysay lamang ang puwedeng isulat at ipasa ng bawat lalahok, at sa isang kategorya lamang siya puwedeng sumali. Ang huling araw ng pagsusumite ay sa Oktubre 31, 5:00 ng hapon. Puwede ring ipadala ang lahok sa pamamagitan ng koreo basta natatakan ito ng Oktubre 31. Isumite ang sanaysay kalakip ang wastong napunuang pormularyo ng paglahok (entry entry form form). Makukuha ang pormularyo sa Tanggapan ng Dekano ng UP KAL (ikalawang palapag ng Kolehiyo ng Ar te at Literatura, Bulwagang Rizal, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman, Quezon City). K a i l a n g a n d i n g m ay k a l a k i p na liham ng rekomendasyon mula sa guro, tag apayong guro, t a g a p a n g u l o n g d e p a r t a m e n t o, dekano ng kolehiyo o pangulo ng unibersidad. Dapat na nakasaad sa liham ang pag-endoso sa kahusayan ng akda at pag papatunay na estudyante ang kalahok sa kolehiyo o unibersidad. Ipadala ang apat na kopya ng sanaysay kasama ang napunuang pormularyo ng paglahok at liham ng rekomendasyon sa: U.P. Jose Rizal Sesquicentenary Celebrations, Steering Committee, Office of the Dean, College of Arts and Letters, Bulwagang Rizal, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City 1101. Susuriin ang mga sanaysay nang walang pagkakakilanlan sa awtor. Isang lupon ng hurado ang bubuuin at aaprubahan ng UP KAL. Susuriin ang mga sanaysay batay sa nilalaman, orihinalidad, estilo, komposisyon at organisasyon. Iaanunsiyo ang nagwaging mga sanaysay kasabay ng pagdaraos ng operang Noli me Tangere sa UP sa Nobyembre hanggang Disyembre. Tatang gap ang mga mananalo ng P50,000 (unang gantimpala), P30,000 (ikalawang gantimpala) at P10,000 (ikatlong gantimpala).

U.P. NEWSLETTER PROF. DANILO ARAÑA ARAO Editor-in-Chief JO. FLORENDO B. LONTOC Managing Editor PROF. LUIS TEODORO Editorial Consultant ARBEEN ACUÑA, ANDRE ENCARNACION, CELESTE ANN CASTILLO LLANETA, JO. FLORENDO B. LONTOC, KIM QUILINGUING, ARLYN VCD P. ROMUALDO Writers BONG ARBOLEDA, MISAEL BACANI, JONATHAN MADRID Photographers ARBEEN ACUÑA Graphics CELESTE ANN CASTILLO LLANETA Layout OBET EUGENIO Editorial Assistant TOM MAGLAYA Circulation 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 ewsletter Mezzanine Floor, Quezon Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City 926-1572, 436-7537 e-mail: upnewsletter@up.edu.ph upsio@up.edu.ph