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PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman
OPINYON
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
Starting Ground
THIS YEAR IS FRAUGHT WITH both danger and the promise of change. And as the premier state university, the University of the Philippines continues to play a decisive role in setting which direction the nation will take. The Philippine Collegian, the universitys official student publication, complements this noble task. As the institution enters its 91st year, the mandate of this term will not merely be a continuation of a long tradition of fearless and critical campus journalism. It needs to expand its horizons and address the need to seek better ways to dedicate its talents and resources in service to the students and the people. This term will never tire of carrying on in the Collegian tradition: reserving its pages for militant ideas marginalized by mainstream discourses and privileged spaces, choosing a stand on issues without fear or apologies, persuading its readers to adopt the sharpest analysis and most effective plan of action. With the recently concluded midterm elections in May, there is all the more a need for an alternative publication that will not be complacent and will be vigilant and critical of the next steps the newly elect shall take. For while the elections gave the country a semblance of democracy, our new set of public servants came from the same set of familiar names that evoke wealth and power. This Collegian will thus boldly champion the just causes of students and other sectors who have always been at the receiving end of political and economic injustices. In UP, as classes opened this year, students once again bear the brunt of UPs perennial problems: the high cost of tuition and the problematic Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) which perpetuates rather than supposedly mitigate the effects of larger social inequality. The Collegian this year will then remain firm in its stance against the STFAP and other schemes which condone the governments abandonment of its moral duty to support the national university. The unfortunate death of Kristel Tejada which triggered public outcry and mass action is a cruel manifestation of how education has become inaccessible to the poor and needy. While holding on to its claim as the University of the People, UP is rapidly surrendering its public character in favor of private partnerships and incomegenerating projects. As a former UP president once ominously said of UP, We are in the business of education. In past terms, the Collegian has been fearless and unapologetic in its stance. Even amidst government threats during
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
2013 - 2014
Punong Patnugot Julian Inah Anunciacion Kapatnugot Victor Gregor Limon Patnugot sa Grapiks Ysa Calinawan Tagapamahala ng Pinansiya Gloiza Rufina Plamenco Panauhing Patnugot Piya Constantino Samantha King Margaret Yarcia Mga Kawani Keith Richard Mariano Kimberly Ann Pauig Emmanuel Jerome Tagaro
Rosette Abogado
Martial Law, the institution fought against the dictatorship in the form of the mosquito press. Neither intervention from outside forces nor financial problems succeeded to stifle the Collegian in the past. The institution has persisted because it draws strength from its allegiance to the students and other oppressed sectors of the society. The Collegian however must go beyond mere reportage. Besides being fearless and critical, its greatest challenge is to persuade a wider audience towards the most effective plan of action on issues which beset our nation and our university. This term thus aims for a wider readership by maximizing all possible venues of discourse and all possible means to translate theory into practice. Modern technology has gifted us with a wealth of new venues for engaging readers and convincing them of the urgent necessity of praxis. Cyberspacethrough social mediaoffers a potential extension of the Collegians borders. Aside from a wider readership and more timely dissemination of information, social media allows for greater involvement from the audience. The Collegian is confident that it will be able to achieve these goals. With a team of dedicated artists, writers, and alumni, the Collegian does not lack a pool of talents at its disposal. Yet more importantly, the Collegian draws strength from students whose side the publication has always taken and whose continued support ensures that the institution shall do so in many years to come. In the recent Collegian budget campaign, more than 13,000 UP Diliman students, student councils, and organizations reaffirmed their support through a signature drive. The Collegian will bank on these strengths. For though the beginning of the academic year is fraught with both the usual dangers and the promise of redemption, the choice has never been to succumb to, or make amends with, the adversaries of genuine change, but rather to seek alternatives to the status quo. The Collegian will not shirk this duty.
Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon Paul John Alix Sirkulasyon Gary Gabales Amelito Jaena Mga Katuwang na Kawani Amelyn Daga Trinidad Gabales Gina Villas Kasapi UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers Organizations (Solidaridad) College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) Pamuhatan Silid 401 Bulwagang Vinzons, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman, Lungsod Quezon Telefax 981-8500 lokal 4522 Online pkule1314@gmail.com www.philippinecollegian.org fb.com/philippinecollegian twitter.com/kule1314
91
EDITORS PICK
The Philippine Collegian republishes distinguished photographs from its past issues that captured its YEARS tradition of critical and fearless journalism.
BURDENED. Students brave the long queue as they line up for loan application for the second semester at Vinzons Hall on November 8
BALITA
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
3
faculty meeting on June 7. Students who were successful in their appeals shall be permanently dismissed should they fail to meet the colleges scholastic requirements in the future. Reconsideration may be availed of only once during the students stay in the College, according to the colleges Scholastic Delinquency Rules. The Board of Regents had earlier approved the QPI but was suspended in 2008. Instead, the college administration implemented a three-strike-rule, where a student with a failing grade of 5 in three subjects is automatically dropped from the rolls. When the college administration planned to revive the QPI rule in June last year, the Law Student Government (LSG) appealed to defer the implementation of the rule, said LSG President Louie Camino. Subsequent campaigns to remove the rule failed however, and the college administration pushed for implementation this semester, added Camino. Meanwhile, the UPD University Student Council (USC) is still studying the situation and consulting with the LSG before taking any action, said UPD USC Student Rights and Welfare Committee head Charlotte France. The main effort of the LSG right now is to help minimize the number of students to be dismissed by the QPI rule and help those affected get their appeals heard, Camino added.
Labor and farmer groups started to camp out in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform office in Quezon City on June 5 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the implementation of Republic Act 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) on June 10. Their call to action is the immediate repeal of the Republic Act 9700 or CARP Extension with Reforms (CARPer) that landlords use to eject farmers and keep control of their lands.
THE SUPPOSED 60-30-10 pattern of vote-sharing in the May 13 senatorial race may have been debunked, but watchdogs say the election results nevertheless favored only a few, including political dynasties. The countrys ruling political clans once more proved their resiliency and ability to perpetuate themselves in power, [and] where oligarchies rule, real development cannot take off, according to the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), a non-government policy research and analysis center, in its May 28 analysis report. Suspicions of systematic cheating surfaced after a pre-determined pattern supposedly favored Team PNoy over United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and independent candidates in the senatorial elections. If there must be a telling pattern in the election results, [however], its not the 60-30-10. At the end of the day, its the same names and same families that [won in] the elections, said Kontra Daya co-convenor Giovanni Tapang. Ateneo de Manila University Mathematics professor Felix Muga III first revealed the 60-30-10 pattern in a public post on social networking site Facebook on May 19. In the first 16 national canvass reports from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the administration candidates have consistently clinched almost 60
agencies with pending labor cases must not be allowed to participate, much less win, in the bidding process. [Ang] nakakabahala, baka ipagpatuloy nila ang pangongolekta ng cash bond at insurance, said Pantaleon.
percent of the total votes. Meanwhile, more than 30 percent of the votes went to UNA and the remaining 10 percent to independent candidates. The distribution of votes should vary because certificates of canvass are transmitted randomly from the provinces to the National Board of Canvassers, said Muga, who is also a member of Automated Election System Watch, a coalition of about 40 election watchdogs. Responding to comments on Facebook, the math professor raised the possibility that the 6030-10 pattern could have been preprogrammed in the compact flash (CF) cards used in the automated elections. The CF cards contain programs, which control how precinct count optical scanner (PCOS) machines should scan ballots and count votes. While Kontra Daya also questioned the integrity of the elections, the watchdog said the pattern does not prove that results were electronically manipulated. By simply fielding more candidates, it was not a surprise that Team PNoy would get 60 percent of the total votes, Tapang explained. The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the citizens arm of Comelec, also debunked the pattern, explaining that vote-sharing among Team PNoy, UNA, and independent candidates varied at the precinct level. What makes the election results questionable, however, was the use of the PCOS technology which lacks the basic requirements of transparency and verifiability, Kontra Daya said. Political dynasties, by and large, perpetuate themselves in power through elections made farcical by being undemocratic. [The] illegitimate automation process [has failed] to modernize [and] democratize the public exercise that is administered by a hostile and incompetent election body, CenPEG said.
BALITA
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
BORROWED FUTURE
Photo by Angerica Hainto
UP students lined up to apply for loans and for Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), occupying three floors of Vinzons Hall during the last day of enrol ment on June 6. Students resort to loans and STFAP to continue their studies despite financial deficiencies.
BALITA
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
Sinalubong ng ibat-ibang grupo ng kabataan ang unang araw ng pasukan sa pagsasagawa ng protesta sa harapan ng opisina ng Departamento ng EdukasyonNCR sa Quezon City noong ika-3 ng Hunyo. Ikinondena nila ang implementasyon ng RA 10533 o ang Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K-12 Law) at ang pagtataas ng bayad sa matrikula ng mahigit 1,000 pribadong paaralang pang-elementarya at hayskul
Program (STFAP), the student and her family could not afford to pay her tuition while her request for a tuition loan has been denied by the UPM loan board. The Justice for Kristel Alliance has since submitted a more detailed position paper calling for the repeal of Articles 327, 330, 430, and 431 of the UP Code (see sidebar 1).
Sidebar 1
FROM
ART. 327
TO
No student shall be denied admission to the University System by reason of age, sex, nationality, religious belief, or political affiliations. No person who has not duly matriculated may be admitted to the classes. In exceptional cas-es, the Dean of Admissions may, on the recommendation of the Dean or Director concerned, authorize the admission of a visitor to a class for not more than five sessions.
No student shall be denied admission to the University System by reason of age, sex, nationality, religious belief, political affiliations or financial incapacity.
ART. 330
No qualified UP student shall be denied admission to his/her classes on the sole basis of non-payment of matriculation fees.
According to the alliance, these articles must be replaced with new provisions consistent with the policy statement approved by the Board of Regents on April 12, which states that no qualified UP student shall be denied access to education to financial incapacity. The proposed amendments will be discussed by the Board of Regents, the universitys highest policy-making body, during its first regular meeting this year on June 20. Meanwhile, in an administrative order dated May 14, Pascual asked a group of former UP administrators to convene as a committee that would review Articles 330, 430, and 431 of the UP Code. Headed by Former Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and UPD Professor
Elizabeth Enriquez, the committee shall make recommendations that will make our university rules, procedures, and practices responsive to the needs of our students, particularly the poor, Pascual said. Other members are former UPD University Registrars Pamela Constantino and Ludendorffo Decenteceo, Former UPM Office of Student Affairs Director Nymia Simbulan, and Former Assistant to the UPLB Chancellor Atty. Damcelle Torres-Cortes. The review committee however does not include student representatives. I am confident in the knowledge and long experience of these seasoned administrators who will take into consideration the proposals submitted by the students, Pascual explained.
ART. 430
Students who have outstanding loans with the University shall be notified, together with their parents or guardians, that such indebtedness must be paid in full before their diplomas, transcript of records, clearance and other academic credentials are released. Pending the full pay-ment of their outstanding loans, students will be given a certification that they have finished all academic requirements and that their academic credentials will only be released upon settling such loans.
Students who are indebted to the Student Loan Board, their sureties and parents or guardians shall be notified that such indebtedness must be paid in full one month before the final semestral examinations begin.
ART. 431
If a student fails to settle his account at the time herein provided, the faculty members should either bar the delinquent student from taking the examinations or, if they allow him to take the examinations, to withhold his grades that is, instead of indicating the grades, the faculty members should write a note in the re-marks column Has account with the Student Loan Board. If the account is not settled by the opening of the following semester, the student may not be allowed to register.
A student who fails to settle his or her account within a semester because of financial incapaci-ty as attested to by his/ her parent, guardian or professor, shall not be barred from attending his or her classes, nor his or her grades withheld due to nonpayment of tuition and other fees. A student with outstanding loans shall be allowed to register in the next semester.
LATHALAIN
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
The UP dream:
DEAR FRESHIES, I can imagine the smile you had on your face when you first heard you passed the UPCAT. I know, because I had one exactly like it when I learned the same news last year. Everyone was so happy for me. My mother cried with joy, my teachers gave me a pat on the back, and soon I found my face on a banner outside of my high school. My curiosity about my future alma mater would lead me to many, many stories about UP, and I came to my first day the way you probably did: armed with this grand fantasy of what the University is like. The fantasy eventually crumbled as the days and months passed. University of the Poor We were told that in UP, we will meet people from all walks of life. There was the proverbial promdi who would be bringing a bayong to class. But in my entire year as a freshman, I have never met a son or a daughter of a farmer, or a vendor, or a construction worker. And I probably never will. In my home college, the College of Mass Communication, classes would usually be attended by students in nice clothes and with many gadgets; some drive their own cars, too. Definitely, these are not from the families of some faraway farm. Since 2006, the full tuition fee rate has skyrocketed to P1,500/ unit from P300/unit in 1989 surpassing both the NCR and the national average of P1,186 and P590, respectively. This makes UP, a state university, more expensive than most schools in the country and places it among the ranks of privately-run colleges. These days, a 15-unit load already costs P22,500, way beyond the monthly minimum wage for
Filipinos (pegged at P13,680 per month for Metro Manila, and P8,742 for the rest of the country). So you see, passing the UPCAT would only get your face on a tarpaulin. The real admission exam is a test of your financial capacity. Quality education for all When I passed the UPCAT, the congratulatory letter from the UP administration said, Lack of financial resources should not be a hindrance to obtaining a UP education. It calmed my mother somehow. Attached to the letter was a pamphlet about the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), one that is touted to democratize access to UP by providing calculated tuition discounts to students. The STFAP uses economic indicators such as your family income and properties to determine your subsidy ranging from 40 to 100 percent. I was categorized under Bracket A, and had to pay at least P25,000 for my first semester, a part of which my parents had to borrow. My classmate, on the other hand,
was placed in Bracket B despite her mothers ailing condition, when all she owned was a cellphone and a defective microwave. Last year, 375 STFAP beneficiaries appealed for lower bracketing while 1,700 applicants resorted to student loans. A UP Manila freshman even committed suicide last March, after being forced to take a leave of absence for failing to pay her tuition loan. She was classified under Bracket D, which charges P300/ unit, even though the family had four other children and only relied on the fathers part-time work as a taxi driver.
Ang Pinaka
Gloiza Plamenco
FIRST DAY HIGH: NASA PRIORITY list ka ayon sa iyong Form 5A. Dahil ditoy agad-agad mong na-enlist ang iyong mga subjects. Sa iyong pamamasyal suot ang bagong biling UP shirt at lanyard, maririnig mo ang ibat ibang kwento tungkol sa pamantasan na iisa lamang ang
ipinapahiwatig UP ang pinaka sa lahat. Bilang bagong kasapi ng UP community, mabuting makilala mo nang mas maigi ang bago mong tahanan bago magpatung-patong ang mga readings.
Kalayaan Residence
Maliban sa mga prof ng College of Law na mahigpit sa patakaran ng pananamit, walang kinikilalang dress code ang UP. Isa ang Cine Adarna sa dalawang sinehan sa buong bansa na malayang nakapagpapalabas nang walang panghihimasok ng Movie and Television Review and Classification Board. Si Jose Maria Sison, BA English Studies, ang co-founder ng militanteng grupong Kabataang Makabayan noong 1967. Isa rin siya sa mga nagtatag ng Communist Party of the Philippines.
Pinoy Henyo
Hawak ni John Gabriel Pelias ng BS Math, ang record bilang UP graduate na may pinakamataas (at pinaka-halimaw) na GWA na 1.016 noong 2011. Paalis ka pa lang ng high school, patapos na ng kolehiyo si Mikaela Irene Fudolig pinakabatang graduate ng Pilipinas sa edad na 16 at valedictorian ng UP batch 2007. Si Fe del Mundo, graduate ng medisina sa UP, ang kauna-unahang babaeng natanggap bilang estudyante sa Harvard School of Medicine. Ang aktres na si Eugene Domingo ay graduate ng Theater Arts sa UP. Maging ang mamamahayag na si Atom Araullo na dating STANDUP chairperson ay nagtapos ng BS Applied Physics sa UP. Minsan sa may Kalayaan Residence Hall nagkatagpuan sina Ely, Buddy, Marcus at Raimund at binuo ang Eraserheads. 34 sa 35 National Scientists, 36 sa 57 National Artists, at pito sa 15 na pangulo ng bansa ay mga graduate ng UP.
LATHALAIN
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
State university Such cases show that the STFAP bracketing system fails to accurately assess the students financial situation, and has not truly democratized access into UP as promised. In fact, only 397 out of 3,823 STFAP applicants received free tuition in 2012. Student council alliance Katipunan ng mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP (KASAMA sa UP) notes that the university collected
about P500 millon from tuition payments in 2011 while allotting only P25 million for the so-called beneficiaries. T he STFAP thus g e n e ra t e d almost P475 million in profit, says KASAMA sa UP chair Eduardo Gabral. We are gradually reducing the subsidy to SUCs [state universities and colleges] to push them toward becoming self-sufficient and financially independent, says Pres. Benigno Aquino III in his 2011 Budget Message. By the looks of things, UP is following the trend. If your family had to pawn your inherited necklace, or your father had to take another job just so you can enroll this semester, you probably now understand that obtaining UP education actually comes with a price a hefty one. And as the government continues to deprive UP of sufficient funds, the university is forced to submit to agreements that compromise its public character.
Iskolar ng bayan Entering the Diliman campus, you will be greeted by The Oblation, his arms outstretched and head tilted to the sky, symbolizing service to the country. Over the next years, UP is supposed to instill in you this noble mission, the meaning of being an iskolar ng bayan. But many things send the wrong message. For one, UP has been partnering with private entities to support itself. Properties that should have been allocated for academic use had been handed to the highest bidder for them to run however they like. Case in point: the expansive Technohub area along Commonwealth Avenue, which was supposed to be a Science and Technology Park, but is now a call center/business hub of Ayala. Walk to the Virata School of Business, College of Engineering, or Institute of Chemistry, and youll see many classrooms named after corporate giants who provided funding. They now find a chance to forever etch their names into our memory of college life, plus a ready pool of future employees. Scholarships with lengthy strings of conditions from companies are dangled above our heads, such that we may identify less with the Iskolar ng Bayan tag, and more with their corporate motto.
As Gabral explains, [N]akukondisyon yung mga estudyante na iprioritize ang mga ito [private sector] kaysa sa improvement and development ng local industries natin. UP fantasy As you are welcomed into UP today, you will be congratulated for the nth time by speakers who will praise you for being among the cream of the crop. But most of them will avoid treading on the realities of UP life, of UP education. Points will be sugarcoated as to not antagonize you this early. Although it may have taken me a year before shattering my personal assumptions about the university, sifting through what is fact and myth now would lead you to the real university scene. And see for yourself what action needs to be done.
Ginawang launch pad ng mga kwitis at Molotov bombs na gawa ng mga estudyante at guro ang Engineering at AS rooftop noong Diliman Commune ng 1971, bilang pagtutol sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng langis at militarisasyon sa unibersidad.
Nasa Main Library ang orihinal na Oblation, ang hubad na simbolo ng UP na tanda ng pag-aalay ng sarili sa bayan. Ito ay hango sa Mi Ultimo Adios ni Jose Rizal.
Pinakaunang ginanap ang Oblation Run noong 1977, bilang protesta sa pag-censor ng dulang Hubad na Bayani. Simula noon, dumadayo na ang mga Ateng (at Koyang) galing sa ibat ibang panig ng lungsod upang titigan ang mga placard na dala ng mga tumatakbo.
KULTURA PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN HUWEBES, HUNYO 13, 2013 current s it y b n e know Groundwo n becam e Collegian. io t just a c li rk pub has not he ilippin h n P ia e g e During my h t t ll e Co od at ame: ime h t o n first Kul t t t , s s n r o e fi ls h I rememb e general mee Since t witness but a ents during er that I k f origin iced th int ting, m ept to my e Point o rst thing I not ffice was a pr e r th s v e exempt no t e o I m co m . a n y fe l r n corner in o ld fi re e o ia o n t e n c b one. Desp ce b is o ia The s g e h ro s e f e o ll f m o h o o t th , ite this, th d C t p e s in n ublished an g e n t p a ti h o as n m in t sionate vo idated by d ear for e paper is forefr native o d read by mome r e ic g lt es I entere on a wall, b Right. Fight a in p th r n ap t co members at o fi er f m e ly cr s m e d it n m c s u ic o n a o a iz g it e st m t p o ed y e h s o f the UP re in o is t e n n g ce a th s a n n n k e e w t a n e issu eekly b h tio io line-up of h se ecam Yet along w but s Educa for act articles for e and planned the ith its duty asis. pages b ical ideas whic the students of words: e, such a call Collegian term th , to students is e next rele rs f ad Blunt and r ed m also its dedi advocate the welfare ase. often r he interests o of the worke r unfazed, the border cation to is it. To t from forme tests, publish scrutinized t e e s h th d t s o r e of o a h sues beyon n t K n n th w e u a o r d e l v t c ly univer ev fo an de alternative d ant so dis sted beauty analysis, an ery topic, every p staff press, whic sity. The Collegian is import urban poor, robs, an h e s t r o t it o h r o d a in h m h an e re id t ch in h ea fu e al o s s se f le h . s t n u y of whic d t ge t p to n s , th li ie e s th ne-up unfi e s leave the c t of cam tisem perspectives day and dedicating e dominant weekly nished, th peasan f the larger so asthead drive photos dated adver ough our rejected by it had alread m e so l r h t a s o o t u the status qu s pages to c s : y m im m e u st n s ee la m B re ecause of ting tched to al ly c acco o. aditio apers r ld t I p o fe m th b lt e . s o is n s em st , r n m e Th ia st fo o r th barrassed g f ranger to th a ur hours. e publica lleg about tion is n own pa , the Collegia native space reat ward, he Co contribute o During M s. eas ome t looking sky of offering anything at not being able to h id Today eing an alter l a ic ar ti it l al r ad th o c n b b e m L p aw io m ir f d u t m ed b o , o n y d li m m la s a ca ev an n k a en b ti s en a e a d o t, n a O r n w n t t s s b w as io s u a hen man were close tI inspired by the ain mat passion in tched persisted he natio y my colleag d by m es t infor keeping th as a mosq d down, the Colleg outstre in service to t ues relevan e often ignore tradition trac l e u ian it C p o lf o u ll b e p li eg A s re sh s ia ss ed s r n il e is a t p a tr ar u s n ad b ti w o Th h li s cl it ca ee es against ion. tion. It kly paper whic it wa ions. which got le. Collegians the Marco the paper institut rly years when e Varsity s regime, its peop greatest co , one of the suspended media an a h t e d ev s as d n en it st n can be seen for three w rain put some he s to 0) a eeks of it from the as ts is time, arrest and its root ge Folio (191 1922 when t the board protective s writers under hou signments e ll in o an s C a d cu se e th w st o e o n E t th d ve lo I y. o n . m ) ing deadlin after ove 1917 rthrow o es that dictatorsip News ( f the , th
e Collegia Marcos n stood b y its critic al
Spaces of Dissent
Colleen Abesamis
first llegian twice, n the Rebel Co ted ra in It . po on ap s iti nt ad tr Board of Rege e th ief en ch nwh r-i in 1996 w edito cion as the ne e Voltaire Venera Gappi who placed first in th d ar en ch wh Ri of 06 d 20 ea inst again in inations, and by the editorial exam re put on hold we s nd fu s n the publicatio 0 administration. stop the BIR-approved 30 OFI), (T se In a bid to ea cr in es and other fe e percent tuition sed an issue documenting th lea e re th an op gi st lle the Co t body to by the studen protests held . 07 n of TOFI in 20 given implementatio to have been
I dont consider myself as the daring kind who ventures into unknown territories. Yet one afternoon after class, I found myself taking the flight of stairs leading to the top floor of Vinzons Hall. Drawn perhaps by the promise of being part of an institution known for its historical prestige and legacy, I decided to try my luck at writing for the Philippine Collegian. I have heard a lot about the campus paper, fondly called by UP students as Kul. But as I become part of the institution that marks its 91st year, I begin to understand how the Collegian has evolved into what it is now known forcritical and fearless campus journalism that never fears to chart spaces where most fear to tread.
ged I feel privile ace in this py a small pl cu oc to ce er whelmed a chan ov ough I am th , n tio itu inst the Collegian e of carr ying by the challeng my own hands. tradition with
Perspective s and Prosp ects Today, in presswork, as the middle of the weekly I got to know the by-lines the faces be , I am moved hind by the thou we are mem ght that bers a collective de of an institution sustai ned by sire fo As a paper th r change. at ha s n ev er desisted fr duty to awar e of the nee om its ds of its audi Collegian ha ence, the s featured ar twork that commentary provides on life in UP. Perhaps one most famous of the among these is Bertong B a comic strip adtrip, created in 20 02 by then G Editor Man raphics ix A student annoy brera, which featured a ed by the usua l campus scen UP The pages arios. of th e C ollegian ar brought to e also life by artw orks that ca imagination pture the of its read ers about campus,
national, and even global issues. Among these are a 2007 cover artwork entitled Sa Bingit ng Pagguho, an Oblation-shaped collage of images that symbolize the gradual commercialization of UP, and Ken Bautistas cover of 2006s seventh issu e which illustrates the hidden motives of the US in supporting Israel in its war against Lebanon. No wonder the Collegian had become home to people who later excelled in their respective professions. Amo ng the its notable alumni are the Supr eme Courts 22nd Chief Justice Reyn ato Puno, writer and activist Ninotchk a Rosca, investigative journalist Ma. Lourdes Mangahas, senator Miri am
Defensor Santiago, and activist poet Ericson Acosta. The publications very first editor-in-chief was Wencesla o Vinzons, after whom UP Dilim ans student center building was named. Yet even with the grandeur of this 91-year old legacy, I begin to feel a little less overwhelmed, because I realize that the strength of this institution is draw n not solely on the talents of its members . Rather, the Collegian has persisted throughout the years because of its potential as an institution who has neve r feared to take sides, to resist, to disse nt, and to always forward the interests and welfare of its publishers, the students .
KULTURA
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
Alipin ng Oras
Mary Joy Capistrano
Anong oras na? Ito ang laging tanong sa akin ng mga naaalimpungatan kong roommate tuwing umaga. Maaga akong gumigising, kaya sanay na akong mapagtanungan ng oras. Unang araw ng klase ngayon ngunit tinanghali ako ng gising, dala marahil ng pagod noong enrolment. Nakadagdag pa ang makulimlim na kalangitan sa labas kaya inakala kong maaga pa. Mabuti na lang at Ikot dyip lang ang kailangan kong sakyan upang makarating sa klase. Gabay natin ang oras sa ating araw-araw na gawain. Ngunit sa dami ng ating dapat gawin, nagmimistula tayong alipin nito. Wala tayong kawala sa kapangyarihan ng oras na takdaan ang simula at wakas ng ating mga arawmula sa paggising, pagpasok sa eskwela, pag-uulat sa klase, pagsusulat at pagpapasa ng papel, hanggang sa pagtulog. Kahit na sa mga gawaing tinuturing nating pangakaraniwan paggamit ng mga unli promo sa cellphone, pagbabadyet ng allowance, panonood ng basketball game sa TV mapagpasya ang oras. Hindi partikular ang mga Pilipino sa oras. Tanging posisyon ng araw at tilaok ng manok lamang ang gamit ng ating mga ninuno upang mabatid ang oras. Nabubuhay tayo noon sa sarili nating orasan at ginagawa ang mga bagay batay sa ating nararamdaman, panahon at pagkakataon. Isa itong patunay na nais nating igpawan ang kapangyarihan ng oras. Likas sa mga Pilipino ang pagiging masayahin, magiliw sa mga panauhin, at masipag. Ngunit kilala rin tayo sa Filipino Time o pagiging huli sa mga pagtitipon. Kalimitan itong iniuugnay sa katamaran umano ng mga Pilipino at itinuturing na balakid sa pag-unlad ng ating bansa. Kamakailan ay nilagdaan ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino III ang Republic Act 1035 o ang Philippine Standard Time (PST), isang batas na nagtatakda ng pamantayan ng oras na gagamitin sa buong Pilipinassa mga tanggapan ng pamahalaan, paaralan, simbahan, pribadong sektor, at maging sa mga pampublikong lugar. Itatakda ng Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA), ang ahensyang magpapatupad sa nasabing batas, ang opisyal na oras ng Pilipinas. Kalakip nito ang pagpapataw ng multa na nagkakahalaga ng Php 30,000 sa mga pribadong may-ari ng istasyon ng telebisyon at radyo sakaling hindi magawang sumunod sa pamantayang oras. Magkakaroon din ng National Time Consciousness Week na gaganapin tuwing unang linggo ng taon. Kasabay nito ang pagpapalaganap ng impormasyon upang higit na maunawaan ng mga Pilipino ang kahalagahan ng oras para sa sarili at sa kapwa. Sa pagkakaroon umano ng pamantayang oras, unti-unting maiiwasan hanggang sa tuluyang mawala ang Filipino Time. Sabay-sabay na magsisimula at matatapos ang oras ng paggawa ng mga empleyado at manggagawa. Maaasahan din ang maagang pagbubukas ng mga tanggapan ng pamahalaan. Sa kabilang banda, walang sapat na batayan ang pagkakaroon ng Filipino Time. Noong panahon ng mga Kastila, itinatak sa isipan ng mga Pilipino ang magpahuli sa mga piging upang bigyang-daan ang mga mahahalagang panauhin. Samantala, itinuturing namang paimportante ang mga karaniwang Pilipino na nahuhuli sa salu-salo. Ayon sa Indolence of the Filipinos ni Jose Rizal, hindi niya pinasubalian ang katamaran ng mga Pilipino. Sa halip, nagbigay siya ng mga dahilan kung bakit hindi angkop ang konsepto ng oras ng mga dayuhan sa mga Pilipino.
Halimbawa, madaling araw pa lang ay nasa bukirin at nag-aararo na ang mga magsasaka habang mahimbing pang natutulog ang mga prayle. Samakatwid, hindi nakikita ng mga prayle ang pagtatrabaho ng mga Pilipino sapagkat ang paggising nila ay siya namang oras ng pamamahinga ng mga Pilipino. Ang tao ay produkto ng oras. Kapag binigyang pakahulugan niya ang oras, magbabalik siya sa orihinal na siklo ng panahon. Sa pagpasok ng industriyalisasyon nabigyang-halaga ang oras sa pagiging produktibo ng tao, ani Romulo Baquiran, isang propesor at kritiko ng kulturang Pilipino. Kaya masasabing makapangyarihan ang oras sapagkat kaya nitong kontrolin at itakda ang kinabukasan ng isang lipunan. Isang patunay ang mga industriyalisadong bansa katulad ng Japan kung saan pinapahalagahan ang bawat segundo ng kanilang oras bilang kontribusyon sa lakas-paggawa ng bansa. Pangunahing tunguhin ng PST ang maging instrumento sa pagpapaigting ng lakas-paggawa sa Pilipinas. Sa ilalim ng PST, ang estado ang magtatakda ng oras na gugugulin ng mga manggagawa at empleyado sa paggawa. Ang pagtawag ng estado na sundin ng mga mamamayan ang eksaktong oras ay pagtugon sa demand ng negosyo na maging eksakto at precise sa pagtalima sa produksiyon, dagdag pa ni Baquiran. Tinuran na ni Karl Marx sa kanyang teorya ng produksyon kung paanong sinasagad ng mga negosyante ang lakaspaggawa at oras ng mga manggagawa upang kumita ng malaki. Maaaring sa pamamagitan ng PST ay maiwasan ang lagpas sa walong oras na pagtatrabaho ng mga manggagawa, lalo na sa mga hindi nabibigyan ng
tamang sahod. Magiging maagap din ang pagbubukas ng mga opisina ng ibat ibang ahensya ng gobyerno. Sa kabila nito, walang katiyakan kung tunguhin ng PST na pangalagaan ang kapakanan ng mga mamamayan partikular na ang mga manggagawa. Anuman ang mangyari, hawak pa rin ng mga negosyante ang mga manggagawa dahil sila ang nagtatakda ng sistema sa pasahod. Mainam na sahod at trabaho ang pangunahing motibasyon ng mga manggagawa at empleyado sa pananatili nila sa trabaho. Kapag binigyan sila ng magandang oportunidad, mas gaganahan silang magtrabaho. Sa katunayan, hindi nasusukat ang pagiging produktibo ng isang manggagawa sa oras sapagkat kahit gaano man kaikli o kahaba ang oras ng pagtatrabaho, mas binibigyang halaga ng mga Pilipino ang dekalidad na produkto at serbisyo. Sa unang tingin, tila magandang programa ang PST na naglalayong himukin ang mga Pilipino na huwag maging tamad at pahalagahan ang oras. Subalit, hindi nito naugat ang tunay na suliraning kinakaharap ng bansa mababang sahod ng mga manggagawa, at hindi sapat na badyet para sa mga batayang serbisyong pangmasa. Sa halip, tila musmos kung tayoy ituring ng estado sa pagdidikta sa atin kung paano gamitin ang oras sa tingin nilang mas kapaki-pakinabang na paraan. Maaaring maiwasto ng PST ang negatibong konotasyon sa Filipino Time sa pagiging maagap at produktibo. Subalit sa huli, uusad lamang pasulong ang bansa kung magagapi ang mga atrasadong kalagayan ng mga mamamayang Pilipino.
10
OPINYON
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
I CANNOT HELP BUT FEEL disappointed over the latest episode of Boy Abundas The Bottomline last Saturday, wherein the issue of UPM freshman Kristel Tejada was revisited three months after the incident caught the attention of Philippine media. It was a classic story of a girl who looked up to (UP) education as passport to alleviating her familys poor condition, yet was confronted by the harsh realities of the countrys education sector as reflected in the national universitys policies. At first, the episode had a promising premise, lending a space to revive the several discourses that surrounded the incident when all the brouhaha has faded. What triggered a complete turnabout was the manner, by which the show went on and ended without the slightest semblance of sharp criticism to deconstruct the issue at the very least. It is very disheartening how the show, with such potential of raising the level of debate and discussions on UPs Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), state priority, and the education sector in general, opted to water down the issue and highlight the faults of Kristels family instead.
Any revisions, no matter how wellmeant, is inutile in confronting the flawed principles inherent in the STFAP
Worse, the overwhelming opinions shared by invited student-leader panelists were not only full of motherhood statements, but lacked critical content. The overall discussion left the impression that merely revising the STFAP (and stronger communications within the family) was the ultimate resolution to the issue. As far as these student leaders are concerned, rejecting the STFAP is too radical and is merely used to advance certain political agenda. In the end, I realized this particular episode was never about a tragedy that stirred the nations conscience, and linked the dots to the governments long-standing policy of state abandonment on education and other social services. While there are several factors that could have influenced Kristels disposition to end her life, the government is also accountable not only to Kristel, but to the thousands who are denied access to quality education. The debate on the STFAP and state subsidy on education has been going on since 1989. As such, to label as too idealistic the calls to junk the STFAP and make education affordable reveals a deeply dangerous and concealed logic: work within the systems premises, for
any efforts beyond what is acceptable for the system is futile. Procedural problems, bureaucratic inefficiency, and administrative constraints form part of the criticisms hauled against STFAP. Yet, these issues do not strike through fundamental reasons of the policys failure. Any revisions, no matter how well-meant, is inutile in confronting the flawed principles inherent in the STFAPof reinforcing the class division in the country without questioning its structural roots, and of appraising ones capacity to pay before being afforded the right to education. Again, Kristel Tejadas suicide spans issues far beyond her familys ordeal. In rural areas thousands of other Kristels who experience the same situation may not have thought of killing themselves, but have long killed any hopes of achieving their dreams. If the Filipino youths dreams had lives, this country has long become a slaying field. Given the current conditions of the education sector, asserting education as a right is radical. As such, our actions necessitate no less. Junk the STFAP. Rollback the tuition. Fight for greater state subsidy!
SA MULING PAGSISIMULA NG KLASE, nandiyan na naman ang mga ka-tropa natin tuwing enrolment: mahahabang pila, maalinsangan na panahon, at walang humpay na lakaran. Kasama rin dito ang paghahanap sa klasrum ng mga nakuhang subjects, pakikipagkilala sa mga bagong kaklase, pagkilala at pagtatantiya sa mga bagong propesor. Pero sa lahat ng mga kaibigan ko, isa lamang ang maituturing kong pinakamatalik. Nakilala ko siya noong pagtuntong ko sa kolehiyo, at hindi na niya ako nilubayan simula noon. Mas mapapadalas pa nga ang bonding namin sa isat isa ngayon, lalo nat may dalawang taon pa akong gugugulin sa UP. Siya ang klase ng kaibigang mapanghimasok. Kapag kasama ko siya, nalilimutan ko na ang mga dapat ko pang gawin. Siya ang nagdidikta sa magiging takbo ng semestre ko. Hanggat maaari nga, inuubos ko ang lahat ng mga allowable absences ko sa bawat isang subject, itong kaibigan kong
ito ang ang nagtatakda kung kailan at kung saan ako liliban. Marahil ay kaibigan din siya ng karamihan ng mga mag-aaral sa UP. May iba na itinuturing lamang siyang kakilala o di kayay kaklase lamang, at mayroon ding halos kapatid na yata ang turing. Bakit nga kaya sobrang lakas ng impluwensya ng kaibigan kong ito sa ating mga mag-aaral? Hindi mo rin naman masasabi kung talagang humihirap lang ang mga subject habang tumatagal, o dumarami lamang ang ginagawa, lalo na sa mga may sinasalihang orgs, o talagang nagiging tamad na ang mga taga-UP habang tumatagal sa pamantasan. Sa ganitong lagay, mahalaga sa ating balikan kung ano nga ba talaga ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nasa pamantasan. Maging personal man ito o idinikta sa atin ng pagkakataon, mahalaga sa atin na isaisip nang muli ito upang hindi tayo maligaw sa landas na tatahakin. Maaaring nandito ka upang pagdating ng panahon ay makapaglingkod sa bayan, makatulong sa iyong mga
magulang, o di kayay para lang may magawa ka sa iyong buhay. Ngunit kahit anong dahilan pa man ito, hindi dapat ito tumigil sa pag-tulak sa atin na matuto. Kaibigan ka man ng katamaran sa napakahabang panahon, hindi ibig sabihin nito na patuloy ka nang mahuhulog sa mga patibong sa buhaykolehiyo. Gunitain mong muli ang mga inspirasyon mo. Ngunit sa paglingon mong muli sa mga batayan ng iyong mga kilos, unti-unti mo na ring ilatag ang semento sa landas na iyong tatahakin. Mahalagang isaisip ang ating mga magulang na nagbabanat ng buto, mabayaran lang ang nagmamahal nating matrikula, ang iyong mga kamag-anak at mga anak na papag-aralin, at ang buwis ng sambayanan na siyang nagpapaaral sa ating lahat. Lumalayo siya sa akin sa tuwing naiisip ko ang lahat ng ito. Mula ngayon, mas madalas ko na silang aalalahanin, sana lang tuluyan na siyang lumayo sa akin.
EKSENANG PEYUPS
11
OPINYON
Continued from page 4
PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN
Congratulations to the new members of the Philippine Collegian! Kira Chan Colleen Abesamis Angerica Hainto
WWW.PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN.ORG
TEXTBACK
Hello there, fresh people! Buti naman at kahit ang tagal matapos ng sumerloo ay fresh pa rin tayo, hindi gaya ng mga iba diyan na nilaspag ng init ng panahon. Kasama na sa mga iba diyan ang apat kong friendzy na nag-ala Dora the lakwatserang naka-full bangs sa Kabisayaan. Paano ba naman hindi malalaspag ang kanilang Gandiss Everdeen sa isang live show ng mga konehong either wala talagang ganda o nagmamaganda lang nang minsang magsama-sama sila sa iisang kwarto sa Bilogbilog? Livestreaming Sa simula pa lang ng live show, nagpakitang-gilas itong si ateng may DD sa name. Shes got a request before going all the way. But she was too nervous and needed to boost her confidence. Paano? Paniwalain ang sarili na ang ganda ganda niya lang. Sabaysabay tayo, guys, Ang ganda ko pa rin! Pero hindi ata combins ang super reactor watching over the live show so she told her to avoid making such remarks. Its a live show daw kasi te, hindi pwedeng ma-edit out ang mga kasinungalingan. Buffering From then on, naging mainit ang mga eksena. Pero bago pa man ang climax, may pabitin epek muna o kumbaga sa sex foreplay. Siyempre may pasabi sa viewers . In fact, one of the perve-lications na sumubaybay ng live show posted on Fakbook na naka-sanitary break sila. Uhm, wait, sanitary break as in their cleaning themselves na? Nakakaloka lang ah. I need a sanity break! And Im thinking of a day or two sa Guimaras kasama ng mga malalaking mangga. An error occurred Speaking of Guimaras, my friendzy also made kwento their encounter with the outliars (n. people who lie just to get out of a situation). Yes, they are the outliars of the live show who prematurely lumabas. Well, maybe they were just so sensitive kaya hindi sila nakatagal unlike the others. But of course, hindi nila aaminin na asar talo sila so they gave their excuses to get out of the room na, like they have another live show to attend pa daw kasi. On their way to Guimaras, however gotesco, itong mga friendzy ko saw with their own eyes how outliars they are! There they are in warm bodieswarm hindi dahil nagalit sila (wow lang talaga kung sila pa may ganang magalit), kundi dahil sa nerbyos. Para naman kumalma sila at mahimasmasan sa kahihiyan, try kaya nilang jomoiners sa isla ng Guimaras and meet the cold-blooded sharks. In short, magpakain sila sa mga pating! So thats it for now. Manonood na lang ulit ako ng mga live shows sa susunod na linggo. Chao-va (n. bye na mga beks)!
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NOWHERE MAN
Alan P. Tuazon
Installments
We are beleaguered by installments. Debts are settled in installments. Shampoos are purchased in sachet installments. In busy cities, even sleep comes in installments. As I park my car outside Vinzons Hall, I effortlessly notice the lengthy line for student loans that spans from OSA to the third floor. Education is also in installments. I unbuckle my seatbelt and find one of your Murakami books still tucked safely in the front seat. The seatbelt still reeks of the intoxicating smell of your Versace perfume. On nights we sped through the metro with the Submarine soundtrack on repeat, the city lies ahead of us in cinematic blur. Maybe I could get you back again, I ponder, by installments. Vinzons Hall is cramped with people bearing the same enrolment woes. It is crowded with an assortment of people incessantly fanning themselves, wiping off beads of sweat down their napes, and holding on to their loan forms which would give them an installment UP education. The line uncannily resembles lines for food programs in evacuation centers. I pass a group of friends discussing the newly opened STS class. They are eating in installments of stolen time. One of theman acquaintance from the College of Engineeringstops me and asks if we both enlisted a class under a specific Engineering professor. The air smells of the mixture of peoples sweat. Nah, Im fully paid for my 18-unit subjectsas non-major, I reply without regret. I can imagine my lawyer fathers peculiar frown and my law student brothers scoffs once they hear about the news of my dismissal. I ascend the last flight of stairs leading to the uppermost level of Vinzons Hall, and feel gravity pulling me down the way it has done the first time I visited the Kule office. It requires an extra ounce of courage to climb this last flight of stairs. Having taken the Kule exam just before summer began, I have been surprised as I received a text message from RC Guerrero a few weeks after. Tol, ikaw na ang magsusulat sa kolum ko. Rakenrol. I open the door to the Kule office, an aroma of afternoon circulating in the air. The noises of people from the loan queue downstairs are still audible. Eyes covered by cigarette smoke and the reflection of the sunlight on his glasses, Delfin Mercado eyes me from head to foot. He offers me a cigarette. I wait for night to come before I climb the ladder to the roof top. Smoking my Marlboros and casting off mosquitoes, I write this first column in solitude under the star-beaded sky. I have that papery feeling of lack of sleep. Somewhere below, Kule writers are still awake, debating on the latest Game of Thrones episode. I light another cigarette and lose myself to its psychedelic fumes. This is to be the first of the many installment nights like this.