TAON 91 BILANG 16 MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013

PHILIPPINE
COLLEGIAN
Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan
ng mga mag-aaral ng
Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman
Lupain ng Panganib
at Ligalig
Dislocation:
Examining the land use
plan of UP Diliman
Lathalain
DAP contribution to
economic growth
insignicant
Balita
3 7
8
Kultura
6
Indebted Isko
Tuition loans and the high cost
of UP education
Lathalain
2
OPINYON PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013
PHILIPPINE
COLLEGIAN
2013 - 2014
Punong Patnugot
Julian Inah Anunciacion
Kapatnugot
Victor Gregor Limon
Patnugot sa Balita
Keith Richard Mariano
Patnugot sa Grapiks
Ysa Calinawan
Emmanuel Jerome Tagaro
Tagapamahala
ng Pinansiya
Gloiza Runa Plamenco
Panauhing Patnugot
Piya Constantino
Margaret Yarcia
Mga Kawani
Ronn Joshua Bautista
Mary Joy Capistrano
Ashley Marie Garcia
Pinansya
Amelyn Daga
Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon
Paul John Alix
Sirkulasyon
Gary Gabales
Amelito Jaena
Glenario Ommamalin
Mga Katuwang na Kawani
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
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IN SHAMBLES
Photo by Om Narayan A. Velasco
November 19, 2009
91
The Philippine Collegian republishes distinguished
photographs from its past issues that captured its
tradition of critical and fearless journalism.
EDITOR S PICK
YEARS
A resident of Old Capitol Site points to what was
once her house, turned into a wreck by typhoon
Ondoy in October 2009. The same damage caused by
recent typhoon Yolanda claimed thousands of lives
due to the governments inadequate actions toward
disaster preparedness.
THE CALAMITY THAT STRUCK
western Visayas may have been
the doing of super typhoon
Yolanda, but the tragedy that
followed it could only be the
work of a government that has
been consistent in its gross
incompetence and neglect of the
peoples welfare.
Te governments current line
of response to the catastrophe of
Super Typhoon Yolanda is telling.
It has evidently shown how,
despite countless tabs of previous
experiences, Benigno Aquino IIIs
administration remain inutile in
the face of natural disasters.
Indeed, the typhoons
aftermathcommunities and
infrastructures leveled to the
ground, endless mosaics of
debris and dead bodies strewn
across roads and pavements
yield depressing images of
unimaginable proportions. Te
damages in Tacloban City and
neighboring towns and provinces
were, without a doubt, stunning
even for a nation frequented
annually by around 20 typhoons.
Te timing couldnt be more
unfortunate. Barely two months
have passed since nearby Visayan
provinces began reeling from a
7.2-magnitude earthquake. Year after
year, stronger typhoons mercilessly
unleash its brute force especially
among the most vulnerable.
Yet, for all strife and miseries
the nation have experienced, the
government appears to learn
nothing. Same issues on disaster
preparedness clearly surfaced, like
the lack of preventive mechanisms
that ensure civilian safety, and
eective post-disaster strategies
that quickly deliver relief to victims.
Even more agitating are
scenes of survivors reduced to
the basic of human instincts;
desperately searching their own
means of sustenance, dropping
any semblance of morality and
clinging to dear lifeopening
opportunities for the prejudices
of the condescending but actually
indicative of the shortcomings
of the governments disaster
preparedness.
Worse, Aquino opted to deploy
soldiers and policemen in severely
hit areas to supposedly counter
what it labels as looting and
protect private property, instead of
heightening relief eorts to reach
the broadest number of victims.
When there remains unreached
areas three days past the typhoon,
is it not more practical to gather
and provide the basic needs of these
looters, and stretch all available
warm bodies for relief and rescue?
Responding to calamites
after all, is never a question of
whether the government is doing
something, because it ought
to in the rst place. Te more
crucial question rather, is why the
Aquino government still appears
to be incapacitated on disaster
preparedness despite the ugly
experiences of the past.
Typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng,
Sendong, Pablo,even
Habagatare no longer mere
names that have deeply scarred
the nations narrative; each is
a harrowing reminder of the
Aquinos government famed
ineptitude in delivering services
that directly benet the people,
disaster or not.
Indeed, Aquinos government
was too obsessed with improving
economic gures that do not bear
concrete meaning in the lives of
the majority. Halfway through
his term, Aquino was more
preoccupied with implementing
policies that only push common
Filipinos to further destitution:
widespread unemployment, low
wages, lack of decent housing and
other public infrastructure such as
roads, dikes, and bridges.
Te extent of this tragedyat
the backdrop of the pork barrel
controversies, of Aquinos staunch
defense of even his own pork
fundswas clearly preventable, if
only funds were prudently spent.
When Filipinos are forced to suer
more so sharply during times of
disaster, retaining the control of
few politicians over public coers
is not only unacceptable, it is
downright unjust.
As we mourn for all those lives
that could have been saved, all those
communities and settlements that
once thrived with life but whose
existence have been wiped o, we
oer our silent prayersthen rage,
against this socio-political system
that has repeatedly spawned
multiple tragedies and stripped
every human dignity left o the
Filipino people.
For the indomitable Filipino
spirit must not merely triumph
over the chaotic aftermath
of Typhoon Yolanda, but also
that of the ultimate disaster:
those social ills that have long
thrown the country in perpetual
devastation.
Ukol sa Pabalat
Dibuho ni Ysa Calinawan
The tragedy of neglect
Rosette Abogado
OPINYON PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MARTES, HULYO 2, 2013 BALITA PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013 3
CONTRARY TO WHAT PRESIDENT
Benigno Aquino III claims, the
Disbursement Acceleration Program
(DAP) has not signifcantly steered
the Philippine economy towards
higher growth, according to
research independent think tank
IBON Foundation.
Defending the DAP from questions
of its constitutionality, Aquino cited a
World Bank report commending the
program for supposedly contributing
1.3 percentage points to the growth of
the countrys gross domestic product
(GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2011.
DAP played an important role
in our economic resurgence. Today,
we can choose from a number of
new labels: Asias fastest growing
economy, Rising Tiger, Brightest Spark,
said Aquino in a 10-minute speech
on national television on October 30.
In the World Banks March 2012
Philippines Quarterly Updated,
however, the 1.3 percentage points
of the GDP growth came from
government consumption and
public construction, said IBON
Executive Director Sonny Africa.
At P61.4 billion, DAP only
accounted for 19.8 percent of the
total P309.7 government spending in
the fourth quarter of 2011. Te DAP
thus only contributed one-fourth of a
percentage point to the GDP growth at
the most, explained Africa.
Hindi totoong nabibigyang buhay
ang DAP sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas.
Sa katotohanan nagagamit lamang
ang DAP para bumuo ng mga bagong
budget items nang hindi naisasalang
sa budget deliberations, said Erra Mae
Zabat, councilor at the UP Diliman
University Student Council.
Legal questions
Te expenditure program
of the current administration is
funded through the realignment of
government savings in the previous
years. Since 2011, the Department
of Budget and Management (DBM)
has released a total of P137.3 billion
through the DAP.
Section 25 (c), Article VI of the
1987 Constitution states that the
President may be authorized to
augment any item in the general
appropriations law for their respective
ofces from savings in other items of
their respective appropriations.
However, the Congress has yet
to pass a law authorizing Aquino
to realign and release funds under
the DAP, said Kabataan Party-list
Representative Terry Ridon. Ridon
fled House Resolution 359 asking the
House Committee on Appropriation
and the Committee on Good
Government and Public Accountability
to probe into the legality of DAP.
Te DAP and the projects under it
are nowhere to be found in the 2011
and 2012 General Appropriations
Acts, thus by approving such, the
Executive Department undermined
with impunity Congress power of the
purse, the resolution read.
Presidential pork
With the reallocation of
government savings subject only to
the presidents approval, the DAP has
been criticized as a form of pork barrel.
Kabataan Party-list defned
pork barrel funds as lump-sum
discretionary allocations, which are
vulnerable to corruption and political
maneuvering. Any public fund not
subject to audit is also considered as
pork barrel, according to the youth
party-list.
Te creation and implementation
of the DAP vividly portrays the vast
discretionary powers of the President
over public funds, as under the said
mechanism, the President can fund
programs and projects even without
congressional scrutiny and approval,
said Ridon.
First implemented in 2011, the
DAP has facilitated the release of a total
of P137.3 billion. Other pork barrel
funds under the presidents control
include lump-sum allocations in the
national budget such as the Special
Purpose Funds (SPF), Unprogrammed
Funds, and Automatic Appropriations.
Despite calls for the abolition of
the pork barrel system, the House
of Representatives (HOR) approved
House Bill 2630 or the 2014
General Appropriations Bill with the
presidential pork intact on third and
fnal reading on October 22.
In the proposed P2.268-trillion
national budget, the presidential
pork may amount to as much as P1.5
trillion, according to Kabataan.
Aquino earlier announced the
abolition of the PDAF following the
P10-billion pork barrel controversy.
However, the P25-billion pork
of lawmakers previously placed
under the Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF) remained
in the House-approved budget
bill, according to the Makabayan
bloc of progressive party-lists
including Kabataan.
In the House-approved budget, the
pork barrel was distributed among six
agencies (see sidebar). Tese funds,
however, were still set aside for the
infrastructure projects of the majority
of the 289 members of the House.
A member of the HOR is allotted
P70 million of pork barrel funds while
each senator gets P100 million.
Meanwhile, the Senate is
currently deliberating on the 2014
national budget. A bicameral
conference meeting will convene to
reconcile diferences in the House
and Senate versions of the budget
bill before the president signs
it into law.
Dapat na tigilan na ni Aquino ang
pagpapanggap na siya ay matapat sa
paglilingkod sa mamamayan. Kung
tunay ang sinasabi niyang paglilingkod
nararapat na mailaan ang perang
di man lang napapakinabangan ng
masa sa mga batayang serbisyo tulad
ng kalusugan, edukasyon, pabahay,
trabaho, said Zabat.
Keith Richard D. Mariano
DAP contribution to economic growth insignicant
Kira Chan
HINIHINALANG PINASLANG NG
mga ahente ng pamilya Cojuangco-
Aquino ang isang lider ng mga
magsasaka sa Hacienda Luisita,
Tarlac, matapos matagpuang
patay noong ika-1 ng Nobyembre
sa kanyang kubo, ayon sa Alyansa
ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa
Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA).
Nabagsakan ng isang poste ng
kuryente ang kubong tinitirhan
ni Dennis Dela Cruz, 39 na taong
gulang, sa bungkalan ng mga
magsasaka sa Barangay Balete, isa sa
11 baryong sakop ng Luisita.
Isa si Dela Cruz sa
mga magsasakang tutol sa
pangangamkam umano ng lupa ng
Tarlac Development Corporation
(TADECO), kumpanyang
pagmamay-ari rin ng pamilya
Cojuangco, ayon sa AMBALA.
Kabilang dito ang ilang mga
lupain sa mga baryo ng Balete,
Cutcut, at Mapalacsiao at mahigit
600 na ektarya ng mga lupang
sakahang nasa tabi ng Tarlac-
Pangasinan-La Union Expressway at
BAGONG PASANIN
Photo by Keithley Difuntorum
Napipilitang magtipid si Aling Minda Francisco, 40 taon at may apat na anak, dahil
sa nakaambang PhP 1.24 / kWh pagtaas ng singil ng kuryente ng Meralco ngayong
Nobyembre. Kung dati rati ay pinaplantsa pa ni Aling Minda ang mga damit, ngayon
ay pinapatuyo na lamang niya ang mga labada para makabawas sa gastusin.
Lider-magsasaka sa Luisita,
hinihinalang pinatay
Hans Christian Marin Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
Ang lupa na noong 2005 pa
pinagpasyahan ng AMBALA na
gawing bungkalan ay bigla na lamang
inaangkin ng TADECO nitong Hulyo
lamang, ani Estrada.
Ilang araw bago ang pagkamatay
ni Dela Cruz, tatlong beses nang
pinagsabihan ng mga guwardiya
ng TADECO si Dela Cruz na lisanin
ang kubo dahil nakatayo umano
ito sa lupaing pagmamay-ari ng
nasabing kumpanya, ayon sa ulat ng
AMBALA.
Naatasan si Dela Cruz
na mamahala sa paggawa ng
kubo ng alyansa na kanya ring
pinamamahayan matapos itong
mawasak ng bagyong Santi. Si
Dela Cruz din ang namamahala sa
bungkalan kung saan nakatayo ang
kubo.
Nais naman ng pamilya na ipa-
autopsy ang katawan ni Dela Cruz
at iulat sa pulis ang pagkamatay ng
kanilang kaanak, ngunit natatakot
silang paghigantihan ng mga
Cojuangco, ayon kay Estrada.
Samantala, nakaamba ngayong
sampahan ng TADECO ang may
81 magsasaka sa Cutcut ng kasong
unlawful detainer o ang pananatili
sa lupaing hindi na niya pagmamay-
ari, ayon sa Media Ofcer ng Unyon
ng mga Manggagawang Agrikultura
na si Aurello Estrada.
Dagdag ni Estrada, pinagbawalan
na ng mga guwardiya ng TADECO
na magbungkal ang mahigit 100
magsasaka sa Cutcut at Balete.
Nagpatayo ang TADECO at Luisita
Realty Corporation ng bakuran
upang palibutan ang mga lupaing
pagmamay-ari umano ng nasabing
mga kumpanya.
Sinakop na rin ng mga guwardiya
ng TADECO ang apat na bahay
sa Balete at pinigilan ang mga
magsasakang nakatira rito na
kumpunihin ang kanilang mga
bahay na nasira sa nagdaang bagyo,
ayon sa AMBALA.
Binawal din nila ang mga
naninirahan sa Barangay
Mapalacsiao na magtanim ng palay at
gulay at mula pagtatanim hanggang
pag-aani lamang maaaring gamitin
ng mga residente ang kanilang mga
lupa
Ang pagpaslang kay Dela
Cruz at pananakot sa iba pang
mga magsasaka ng Luisita ay
Reallocation of the Priority Development Assistance Fund
Source: 2014 General Appropriations Bill
Continued on page 11
BALITA PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013
4
NEARLY HALF OF UP DILIMAN
(UPD) students applying for
student housing this semester were
unable to get a slot due to delays
in the ongoing renovation of the
universitys residence halls.
Only 295 out of 545 applicants
were accepted in dormitories this
semester, bringing the total number
of students with on-campus housing
in UP Diliman to 2,559 this academic
year (see sidebar).
Prior to the renovations,
3,385 students are accepted every
academic year. Te number of slots,
however, decreased by more than
a thousand this year with nine
out of 12 dormitories undergoing
renovations since summer. Only
the Centennial dormitories and
the International Center were not
renovated.
Te renovations were originally
to be completed by the end of the
frst semester. However, weather
conditions and deviations from
the original plan which required
additional paperwork prolonged the
time period for renovations, said
Ofce of Student Housing Director
Gerry Lanuza.
Most of the residence halls will
not open additional slots until the
next semester, said Lanuza. Only
the dormitories of Kamia and
Sampaguita were fnished by the end
of the frst semester. Renovations in
Yakal and Ipil will be completed in
the middle of the semester.
Te renovations include the
repiping and retiling of bathrooms,
reroofng, and repainting. An
open air multipurpose hall, which
Ongoing renovations deny half of applicants
of dorm slots
students may rent, will also be built
in Ilang-ilang Residence Hall.
Some of the dormitories have
not been renovated since the
1960s due to lack of funding, said
Lanuza. Te ongoing renovations,
which cost P50 million, were
funded through the Commission on
Higher Education.
Once the renovations are
completed next semester, the
dormitories will return to full
capacity. Te Acacia Residence
Complex, a co-ed three building
dormitory opposite the Shopping
Center, will also likely open next
semester, said Lanuza.
A total of more than 4,000
students, or a ffth of the student
population in Diliman, may then be
housed within the campus.
One building in Acacia will be
exclusive to Law students. Alumni
of the college donated P43 million
WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN
unannounced 33-percent tuition
hike confronted students taking a
second degree at the College of Fine
Arts (CFA) during this semesters
registration period.
Te CFA administration,
however, denied that there has been
an increase in tuition rates. Tere
was probably a glitch in the system,
kasi yun talaga ang lumabas sa
Computerized Registration System
for [second-degree students],
said CFA College Secretary Jamel
Joseph Obnamia.
Under the Socialized Tuition
and Financial Assistance Program
(STFAP), students taking up a
second degree are automatically
assigned to Bracket A, dubbed as the
millionaires bracket, with a tuition
rate of P1,500 per unit.
During the frst two days of
enrolment this semester, however,
tuition for second-degree students
increased by P500 to P2,000 per
unit. At this rate, a student would
have to pay around P36,000 for an
18-unit credit load.
Because of the system glitch, the
assessment of fees for CFA second-
degree students was halted on the
second day of enrolment at 1PM.
Te glitch was fxed the next day,
said Obnamia.
Te CFA Student Council
(SC) then notifed all students
who were overassessed to
undergo a reassessment, said
Obnamia. Students who paid for
the overassessed tuition were
Kira Chan
STUDENTS OF THE UP
Integrated School (UPIS) start their
third quarter in their new building
on November 12 even as a number
of facilities remain incomplete.
Te acoustics of the schools
auditorium, the roof of the multi-
purpose gym, and the sinks in science
rooms have yet to be installed, said
UPIS Principal Ronaldo San Jose.
UPIS was transferred near the
College of Education after the
university administration leased its
7.4-hectare East Campus property
along Katipunan Avenue to Ayala
Land Inc. (ALI). East Campus was
the land previously occupied by
the UPIS, leased to ALI for the
construction of mixed-use retail
establishments, including the UP
Town Center.
As part of the 25-year lease
agreement, ALI shouldered the
costs of constructing the new UPIS
building. UP is projected to earn
P8.5 billion from the lease with an
up-front payment of P220 million.
Te new UPIS building was
originally planned to be completed
July this year, said Cristopher
Stonewall Espina, director of the
Ofce of Design and Planning
Initiatives. Te turn-over of the
building, however, was delayed
for fve months after fre hazard
inspectors required the installation
of a water sprinkler system to
comply with safety guidelines,
said Espina.
Te lease agreement did
not include the procurement of
furniture and the installation of
the school auditoriums acoustics,
the roof of the multi-purpose gym
and sinks in science rooms, said
UP Vice President for Development
Elvira Zamora.
Some of the old furniture from
the old UPIS campus were instead
refurnished, said Zamora. Te UPIS
administration then conducted
fund-raisers to provide for their
need of new furniture.
Meanwhile, there are still no
ofcial plans on when and how
the gyms roof, the acoustics of
the auditorium, and the sinks of
the science could be provided,
said Zamora.
Te lack of furniture in the
agreement compared to ALIs large
gains shows that the contract is
one-sided, said Charlotte France, UP
Diliman (UPD) University Student
Council (USC) councilor. Habang
patuloy na nagpapayaman ang ALI,
napakaraming mag-aaral naman ang
naantala ang pag-aaral at nagdurusa
dahil sa kakulangan ng pasilidad.
Te university continues to
enter into partnerships with the
private sector because of the
lack of sufcient state subsidy,
said UPD USC Vice Chair Juliano
Fernando Guiang.
Te UP administration proposed
an average of P17.87-billion annual
budget from 2010 to 2014. However,
the government only appropriated
P7.2 billion to the university.
Income generating schemes
such as land leases justifes the
governments resolve to make state
universities and colleges (SUCs)
become self-sufcient, said France.
In his 2011 budget message, for
instance, President Benigno Aquino
cited the capacity of UP to generate
its own income from land leases to
justify cuts in the budget of SUCs.
In the meantime, the UP
administration should exert their
authority as lessor to get the most
out of ALI in providing for remaining
facilities and equipments needed by
the UPIS students, said Guiang.
Facilities in new UPIS
only partially completed
Franz Christian D. Irorita
Sidebar: Dorm slots as of the second semester
* exchange students will check in mid-semester
Source: Ofce of Student Housing
for the construction of the P205.2-
million residence complex.
Meanwhile, half of slots in
the Centennial Dormitories are
allotted for Engineering students
under a priority system. Te
construction of the dormitories
were funded through a P40-million
donation from the Philippine
Investment-Management, Inc,
the UP Engineering and Research
Development Foundation, and the
UP Alumni Engineers.
With the lack of subsidy coming
from the government, the university
relies on donations for the delivery
of student services such as housing,
said Charlotte France, University
Student Council Student Rights and
Welfare Committee head.
Such a scheme allows donors to
set conditions such as prioritizing
students from certain colleges in the
allocation of slots in dormitories,
added France.
also notifed of their eligibility
for a refund.
A graduate from the College
of Education and currently taking
up her second degree as a Visual
Communication major, Precious
Jewel Gamboa was one of those who
complained about the system glitch
on November 5.
[It was] utterly unfair. None of
the second-degree students were
made aware of this. Tey didnt
even give an announcement or a
memorandum, said Gamboa.
Not even professors in the
college knew about any increase in
tuition, said CFA SC Chair Judith
Camille Rosette. Te CFA SC even
had to browse through various UP
administration websites to see if
any announcement has been made,
added Rosette.
According to the 2008 UP
Charter, only the Board of Regents,
the highest policy-making body of
the UP system, can fx tuition rates
in the university.
System glitch prompts
tuition hike in FA
Arra B. Francia
BALITA PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013 5
THE NUMBER OF CRIMES reported
within the UP Diliman (UPD) campus
in the frst semester increased by 17
percent from the same period last year.
Ranging from theft and robbery
to physical injuries and sexual
harassment, a total of 55 security
related incidents, were recorded
from June to October, based on
data obtained from the UP Diliman
Police (UPDP).
In October alone, 13 incidents
were reported, including the robbery
of UP Political Science Professor Perlita
Marasigan-Frago in broad daylight on
the 17th. Tree suspects handcufed
Frago inside her car and drove her
around while carrying out the robbery.
Te robbers then withdrew P29,000
from the professors ATM card and
took her iPhone and watch.
Te UPDP has identifed Ylanan
Street, University Avenue and
Magsaysay Avenue as crime prone
areas. Tese are areas near entry and
exit points, UPDP Ofcer-in-Charge
Ruben Villaluna explained.
Since 2009, the number of crimes
committed within the campus has
been increasing except last year, based
on data obtained from UPDP. From
the 97 incidents reported in 2009, the
number increased to 107 in 2010 and
127 in 2011.
Te UP System administration
implemented tighter security
measures in 2012 after a spate of
crimes occurred in the universitys Los
Baos and Diliman campuses.
In October 2011, a third year
Computer Science student was
sexually assaulted and killed near the
UPLB campus, while Political Science
student Lordei Hina was attacked
inside the UPD University Student
Council (USC) ofce in February 2012.
Maaring na-observe na ng mga
crime elements ang ating mga security
measures and schedules. Nakapag-
adapt na sila kaya nakakapag-abang
sila ng mga possible victims, said
Chief Security Ofcer John Baroa.
Tighter security measures
After the barrage of security
related incidents, the UP system
administration is implementing
new security measures, such as the
installation of closed circuit television
(CCTV) cameras.
Barrier gates were also put up as
early as summer this year. Te boom
gates, however, will only become fully
operational after the Radio Frequency
Identifcation (RFID) System is
completed, said Baroa.
Te RFID system will identify and
limit the number of vehicles entering
the campus. Baroa, however,
maintained that the university will
still be open to all despite the tighter
security measures, said Baroa.
More security personnel
Aside from the installation of
boom gates and CCTVs, increasing the
number of security personnel must be
a priority, said USC Student Rights and
Welfare (STRAW) Committee Head
Charlotte France.
Batay sa mga naganap na
konsultasyon ng STRAW, may
mga kolehiyong patuloy pa ring
nananakawan bagamat may mga
CCTV na. Ang kailangan natin ay warm
bodies na mga kasama sa pamayanan
na handa talagang protektahan ang
seguridad ng mga Iskolar ng Bayan,
explained France.
At present, 279 security guards,
52 members of the Security Services
Brigade and 31 unifrormed UPDP
personnel patrol the 494-hectare
UPD campus.
In the 2012-2016 strategic security
plan of the university, the UPD
administration recognized the need to
hire new police ofcers.
Te meager salary of police ofcers
in the campus, however, has become
an impediment in the recruitment
process, said Villaluna. A Special Police
Ofcer I, for instance, only earns
P11,600 every month in basic salary,
he added.
Sa sobrang pagtitipid ng UP
administration, nananatiling kapos sa
security guards ang UP. May ilang mga
kaso na isinara na lamang ang gate o
kaya naman ay napipilitang magpataw
ng mas maagang curfew sa ilang mga
gusali dahil sa kakulangan ng security,
said France.
Crime rate in UPD
rise by 17% last sem
Johnwyn Ace B. Fornal
MORE THAN 10 PERCENT, OR 495
out of 4,698 students, who applied for
the Socialized Tuition and Financial
Assistance Program (STFAP) in UP
Diliman asked for their reassignment
to lower brackets this academic year.
Te University Committee on
Scholarships and Financial Assistance
(UCSFA), composed of university
ofcials, administrative staf and
student leaders, deliberated on the
appeals on October 21. However, only
104 appeals were approved in time for
the registration period this semester.
Te Ofce of Scholarships and
Student Services (OSSS), which
facilitates the socialized tuition
program, is still conducting home
visits to most students who appealed
their bracket assignment, said OSSS
Ofcer-in-Charge Aristeo Dacanay. Te
UCSFA will again convene in December
to deliberate on the remaining appeals.
Te appeal period already ended
last semester. With the calamities
that devastated parts of the country,
1 in 10 STFAP applicants appeals for lower bracket
Arra B. Francia
however, the OSSS is considering to
open the application for appeals, said
Dacanay.
Among the STFAP applicants with
pending appeals is Isabelle, a second
year Journalism major. Isabelles
annual family income qualifes her to
pay P600 per unit under Bracket C.
However, she still appealed for Bracket
D, with tuition pegged at P300 per
unit only.
Despite our family income falling
under the Bracket C, the STFAP fails
to determine other factors. Hindi lang
naman kasi tuition ang binabayaran
ng estudyante, said Isabelle, who has
three other siblings in school.
Flawed tuition system
Te STFAP is a bracketing system
that determines a UP students
capacity to pay tuition based on socio-
economic indicators including both
family income and expenses.
Students with an annual family
income of more than a million, for
instance, are assigned to Bracket A and
pay the full cost of tuition at P1,500
per unit. Meanwhile, families earning
less than P135, 000 annually enjoy free
tuition under Bracket E.
However, the STFAP has been
criticized by various sectors as fawed.
Nagpapatunay ang dami ng bilang
ng appeals na maraming mag-aaral
ang hindi nakakakuha ng akmang
STFAP bracket kung ang kanilang
lehitimong estadong pang-ekonomiya
ang pagbabatayan, said USC councilor
Charlotte France.
Te number of appeals is not
even refective of the actual number
of students unsatisfed with their
bracket assignment, since most are
discouraged from undergoing the
lengthy process, said Eduardo Gabral,
national chairperson of Katipunan ng
mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP .
In a survey conducted by the Ofce
of the Student Regent in 2011, 90
percent of 1,808 respondents across
the UP System said they should have
been assigned to lower brackets.
Tis only goes to show that the
system is fawed and beyond repair.
We fail to recognize that the problem
here isnt just the technicalities of this
income-generating policy but the mere
existence of high tuition cost in UP,
said Gabral.
Smokescreen for tuition hike?
Te STFAP was frst implemented
in 1989, the same year when the base
tuition in UP was increased from P40
to as much as P300 per unit. Students
were then classifed into nine numeric
brackets with fve non-paying brackets.
In 2007, the number of brackets
were collapsed into fve alphabetic
brackets along with the 300-percent
tuition increase. In the restructured
program, only students classifed
under Bracket E enjoy free tuition.
Te non-paying bracket was further
divided into E1 and E2, limiting the
granting of stipends to the latter.
From 1989 to 2006, around half
of the STFAP applicants enjoyed
free tuition. After its restructuring,
Continued on page 11
ON BOARD
Reports on the October
25 BOR meeting
Hans Christian Marin
THE HIGHEST POLICY-MAKING
body in the university dedicated its
October 25 meeting to discussing
the separate proposals to revise
anti-poor provisions of the UP
Code and to reform the UP Socialized
Tuition and Financial Assistance
Program (STFAP).
Other policy issues such as
the integration of information
systems across the UP system
under President Alfredo Pascuals
eUP program were included in
the agenda. However, the Board
of Regents (BOR) was only able to
tackle the proposed revisions in the
UP Code and STFAP.
Proposed UP Code amendments
Te proposed changes in Articles
330, 430 and 431 of the UP Code
were frst presented in the Boards
September meeting. Te revision of
the Code aims to operationalize the
BOR-approved policy which states
that no qualifed student shall be
denied access to UP education due to
fnancial incapacity.
Former Student Regent Cleve
Robert Kevin Arguelles originally
asked the BOR to repeal the articles
in April, following the suicide of
Kristel Tejada days after fling a
HULING MISA
Photo by Karl Aquino
Dinaluhan ng mga kapamilya at kaibigan ang misang idinaos para sa aktibistang
pari na si Jose Joe F. Dizon sa Diocese of Imus, Cavite noong Nobyembre 9.
Pumanaw ang pari, na nakilala sa kanyang pagtindig laban sa Batas Militar, sa edad
na 65 dahil sa komplikasyon sa baga at bato.
Continued on page 11
Classes in new building begins November 12
LATHALAIN PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013
THE NEWS OF PASSING THE UPCAT is
often greeted with joy in many homes. Here
comes a Filipino youths ticket to realizing his
dreams, the chance to improve his familys
lives through free and quality education. He
would be called an iskolar ng bayan.
However, students would come to
know a much dierent version of their
UP dreams come enrolment. Just as how
Business sophomore Miguel* thought it
would be a smooth sailing journey, they
will realize that in UP, without enough
money, they are bound to be indebted
scholars.
Relief
Miguels UP story may as well
have ended three semesters ago.
Since rst year, Miguel had been
taking out student loans to pay
for tuition because both his
parents are unemployed.
Miguels father, who used to
be a public attorney, now simply
provides freelance consultancy
services to old colleagues after being
laid o in 2008. Miguels mother, on the
other hand, stays at home with his two
grade school siblings. On lucky months, his
father may earn around P10,000 to P40,000.
But as consultancy gigs are rare, most of
the time, they simply live on borrowed
money, Miguel shares.
Whatever they earn from
consultancies is spent not only on
Miguels family of ve but also
on close relatives who had just
been deported from their
jobs abroad.
Despite this, Miguel
was classied under
Bracket A of the
Socialized Tuition
and Financial
Assistance Program
(STFAP) and given
the burden of paying
P22,500 for every 15-unit
semester even though they
declared an annual income
of less than P500,000. With
the nagging possibility of having
zero income, Miguel had no choice
but to be part of the three-oor
queues in Vinzons Hall to loan from
the Oce of Student Services and
Scholarships (OSSS). [Otherwise,]
I would have had to take a leave of
absence, Miguel says.
Unfortunately, his fathers
employment situation did not
improve come his sophomore
year and Miguel was forced
to take out a loan again. To pay for
his tuition, Miguel had to borrow
large sums of money from one
of his professors and even work
tirelessly as a shop assistant every
night to avoid being buried in
debt at the OSSS.
My matriculation in UP
has become a debt cycle
Kaya ngayon, nagbabayad pa
rin kami ng utang, Miguel
laments.
Tis semester, Miguel
has again borrowed from
the OSSS. And as his father
struggles to nd a stable
job, he knows that he
may be facing the same
predicament again.
Sky-high tuition
Tuition problems
like Miguels are not
new to UP. In fact, the
situation has become
an alarming trend
overtime. According to
the OSSS, the number
of loans have surged to
5,391 last year from a
mere 2,077 in 1991.
Miguel is even
relatively lucky to have
other nancing sources
for his loans. Latest gures
show that only 1,218 out
of 2,992 students who had
tuition loans last semester
were able to pay before the
release of grades.
If Miguels situation is
any indication, students
are forced to apply for
loans primarily because
tuition rates are out of
their reach to begin with.
After tuition hikes in 1989
and 2007, UPs base tuition now
stands at P1,500/unit from P40/
unit and P300/unit, respectively.
Under the STFAP, students are
given tuition discounts, ranging
from 40 to 100 percent with stipend,
supposedly to cushion these tuition
hikes. However, this feature to
equitably adjust the rates of each
student has proven faulty over time.
In 2012, half of the undergraduate
population of 18,164 paid
tuition under bracket B
(P1,000/unit), while one-
fourth were in bracket A
(P1,500/unit) rates much
higher than the national
average of P590/unit. Only
74 of 3,823 STFAP applicants
received free tuition with
stipend.
[H]indi nasisipat ng STFAP
na mahal na ang tuition sa UP,
kaya patuloy ang pagdami
ng mga nag-loloan, says
Student Regent Krista
Melgarejo. USC Student
Rights and Welfare
Committee head
C h a r l o t t e
France adds
that for the
STFAP to be
able to give
discounts to
less than a fourth
of the student
population, it must
overcharge the rest.
Such a tuition system
has hindered potential students
to start their UP journey. Mark,*
a 2012 UPCAT passer for instance,
is now enrolled in the Polytechnic
University of the Philippines which has a
remarkably lower tuition of P12/unit. Hindi
na ako tumuloy sa UP dahil sa bracket B
ako nilagay samantalang minimum
wage [earners] lang [pamilya ko], he
shares.
Tis year, STFAPs failure has
even reached a lethal point,
with a UP Manila freshman
committing suicide due to
unpaid tuition.
Hands tied
As reports of STFAP
woes mount, UP has
recognized the need to
revise its policies regarding
loans.
Tis April, UPs
highest policy-making
body Board of Regents
ruled that no qualied
student shall be denied
admission into the university
due to nancial incapacity.
Tis led UP to allow students
to apply for loans even with an
existing balance at the OSSS
and borrow 100 percent of
their tuition subject to their
Chancellors approval.
We adopted these policies
in line with the [BORs new
ruling]. Hindi mo na pwede
i-dahilan na hindi ka na pwede
mag-enrol kasi di mo kaya
ang tuition kasi [pwede ka
na humiram muna], explains
UP President Alfredo Pascual,
who also claimed that rising
loan gures were simply the
result of mismatched paydays and
enrolment schedules.
Yet, the multi-sectoral Justice
for Kristel Alliance argued that these
reforms have only addressed one level
of the problem. To be truly consistent with
the BORs ruling, the alliance proposed
amending anti-poor articles 330, 430, and
431 in the UP Code that eectively bars
students unable to aord UPs tuition from
enrolling. However, a review committee
under former UP Diliman Vice Chancellor
for Student Aairs Elizabeth Enriquez
rejected these amendments.
If matriculation will not be
required, who among the students
will opt to pay tuition to get a degree?
UP has never received sucient subsidy
and without funds from tuition, UP
will no longer be able to provide quality
education, the committee reported.
Te committee report, thus, arms
one thing: UPs hands are tied.
Historically, UP only receives one-
third of its proposed budget every year.
As the government continues to deprive
UP of vital funds, it is no surprise then
that UP depends on such sources of revenue
like tuition and other income generation
schemes (see related article) at the cost of
corrupting its public character. In fact, the
Aquino administration has praised UP for
collecting an average of P476 million from tuition
to compensate for an P11-billion annual budget
decit.
[H]indi talaga nakadisenyo ang edukasyon sa
bansa para maging abot-kamay. [Itinuturing] itong
kalakal na pwedeng pagkakitaan, France explains.
Instead of upholding it as a basic right and
a tool for nation-building, the government has
consistently treated education as a commodity
that comes with a hefty price. In so doing, it has
eectively prevented the democratic access to
quality education and only ensured the survival
of the richest.
Until UP education becomes truly accessible,
until public higher education is truly recognized
as a basic right and not a privilege, iskolar ng
bayan can only be a loaned title, a mere token that
only a few can aord.
I
n
d
e
b
t
e
d

I
s
k
o
T
uit
io
n
l
o
an
s an
d
t
he hig
h c
o
st
o
f UP
ed
uc
at
io
n
As the
government
continues to
deprive UP of
vital funds, it is no
surprise then that UP
depends on such sources
of revenue like tuition
and other income
generation schemes
at the cost of
corrupting
its public
character
Ronn Joshua C. Bautista
Illustration : Ysa Calinawan
Page design : Jerome Tagaro

Such
a tuition
system
has hindered
potential
students to start
their UP
journey.
6
LATHALAIN PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MARTES, AGOSTO 23, 2013
7
LATHALAIN PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013
THE GLASS DOORS OPENED to a
buzz of activity: teenagers excitedly
slurping up the dregs of their chilled
cofee and milk tea while discussing
the latest must-reads and must-haves,
the Friday night gimmick, the weekend
plans. Tere is an unmistakably
laidback vibe wherever you look, urging
you to join in the fun. Tis is the new
it place.
Except that this hip, new hangout,
the UP Town Center, stands where a
learning institution once had been.
It stands in the stead of the old
classrooms, the libraries, the spacious
playing grounds. Its loud extravagance
has drowned out the calm of the school
lessons and the carefree laughter of
the students who had come to call
the UP Integrated School (UPIS) their
second home.
But UPIS is not the frstand
would most likely not be the last
building to be demolished to make
way for a commercial facility. It
is merely a part of a series of
changes outlined by the
UP land use
p l a n .
Blueprint
Assessing UPs real estate assets
began in 1994. Land properties were
plotted on a map, indicating which
portions are allocated to what purpose.
In the 1994 plan, academic units were
given the most space, their classrooms,
libraries, laboratories, and research
facilities, taking up 22 percent of UPs
land area. Commercial development
and open spaces followed at
17.8 and 17.1 percent, respectively.
However, as UPs budget dwindled,
the University administration found a
need to reevaluate its land use plan. It
was fnally revised and
approved by the Board of Regents in
2011, as the land use plan of 2012,
to show which parts were the most
marketable.
We have formulated a strategic
plan at the start of our term and one of
the pillars is fnancial stability. We were
very clear in saying that we are going
to develop our existing properties
to be able to generate additional
resources, UP President Alfredo
Pascual explained in an interview with
the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Aside from the Town Center, many
other changes can be expected, as
suggested by the Board of Regents. Te
list includes the possibility of putting a
fence around the UP property, having
a mixed-use of land, and solving the
problem of UP on informal settlers
through the help of developers.
Tese proposed changes are not a
far cry from the development we now
call the UP-Ayala Land Technohub.
Labeled in the land use
plan as a science|
and technology
park, it now houses
several high-end
restaurants and
cake and tea
shops, along with
a call center hub.
Unsurprisingly, it has become
the hangout of higher
bracket Iskolars ng Bayan.
Compromise
Even as its foundations were
being laid, the UP Town Center has
met with criticism from within
and outside the UP community.
A former UPIS student, Hiyas*,
laments: It hurts to see my former
school being torn down to be replaced
with a mall. It surely sends the wrong
message to the next generation
that commercialism takes primacy
over education.
Even worse, UPs public and
academic character has been
compromised, with the shop-and-
dine vibe promoted by the UP Town
Center going against the Universitys
pro-people ideals and academic
raison dtre.
UP Student Regent Krista
Melgarejo points to the governments
role in forcing the University to resort
to own income-generating projects,
Tere should not be an SUC which is
self-sufcient and has an expensive
tuition. An SUC is called as such
because it is funded by the government
and must cater to the poor.
For his part, UP President
Alfredo Pascual explains that income
generating projects will not be enough
to keep the University going, hence the
continued call for state subsidy. Our
Charter says that whatever is generated
by the development of these assets will
not in any way reduce the commitment
of the government to provide it with
budget appropriation, he adds.
From and for the people
Te UP Land Use Plan was
supposedly created to work for the
beneft of the entire UP community.
Andrea Joyce A. Lucas
It seeks to reveal key infrastructures
now existing in the campus, indicate
which areas are to be used for resource
generation, and serve as a guide for
future infrastructure development.
It follows that the stakeholders
of the University should be consulted
with before any plan could be
approved. But this did not happen,
as Melgarejo confrms in an interview
with the Collegian, In drafting the
said land use plan, the organic sectors
of the University were not involved.
Te BOR [has] suggested to
increase the Resource Generation
Zones, says Professor Maureen
Araneta, the director of the UP
Diliman Information Ofce. She
explains that the designation of these
areas is consistent with Section 22.c,
of RA 9500 (Act to Strengthen UP as
National University) which outlines
the decisive power of the Board of
Regents over the implementation of
land leases.
Section 22.c states that such
mechanisms and arrangements shall
sustain and protect the environment
in accordance with law, and be
exclusive of the academic core zone of
the campuses of the University of the
Philippines: provided, further, that
such mechanisms and arrangements
shall not confict with the academic
mission of the national university.
Tese are words that are easier to
put on paper, than done. Meanwhile,
UP Town Center continues to draw
people to its fne dining restaurants a
world so far removed from UPs views
of service, honor and excellence.
*not their real names
DISLOCATION:
Examining the land use
plan of UP Diliman
Illustration : Karl Aquino
Page design : Ashley Garcia
HALOS ISANG ORAS ANG
biyahe mula sa resort na pinuntahan ng
Kule para sa pagpaplano ng mga gawain
at pagtatasa ng nakaraang semestre.
Dahil walang tulog simula noong
nakaraang gabi, pinilit kong umidlip.
Matapos ang ilang oras, pumasok na
ang amoy ng palay at tubo sa loob ng
dyip. Kalaunay, may naririnig akong
tilaok ng manok at tunog ng kambing
nandito na pala kami.
Sa isang kalye ng Barangay
Balete makikita ang hanay ng mga
sementadong bahay na kaiba sa mga
bahay-kubong makikita sa aklat ng
Hekasi. Pagdating ng dapithapon,
halos kainin ng anino ng isang
malaking pader ang mga bahay
ng mga magsasaka. Umakyat ang
isang babae sa poste at tinanaw
ang lupain sa kabilang bakod. Doon
natanaw niya ang ilang ektarya ng
taniman ng tubo. Abot-kamay sana
ang mga ito, kung hindi lang dahil sa
nakapagitnang bakod.
Asyenda ng panlilinlang
Dapithapon na nang tumungo
kami sa Barangay Bantog, isang
baryo na sampung kilometro ang
layo. Hindi biro ang biyahe dahil sa
mabatong daan at malaking pagitan
ng labing-isang barangay sa isat
isa. Halos umaabot ng P140 ang
pamasahe para lang makalabas-
pasok sa asyenda. Pinagsamang
Pasig at Makati daw kasi ang
Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI)
lupaing kinakamkam ng angkang
Cojuangco-Aquino.
Iniwang walang kuryente
ng bagyong Santi ang HLI kaya
tanging ilaw ng kandila ang gabay
namin patungo sa bahay ni Nay
Mely, isang residenteng 40 taon
nang naninirahan sa Bantog.
Sardinas at kanin ang
aming hapunan na tila ba
may kakaibang sangkap kaya
ginanahan kaming kumain.
Hindi rin matatawaran
ang sarap ng kanin at ang
sardinas na binili gamit ang
perang madalang dumaan sa
kamay ng mga magsasaka. Mas may
kakayahan palang magbigay ang
mga magsasaka na kumikita lamang
ng P 9.50 kumpara sa milyon-
milyong kita ng Cojuangco-Aquino.
Habang kumakain, nagsimula
kaming magkwentuhan. Isa si Ka
Clay sa mga aktibong lumahok
sa talakayan. Saksi siya sa mga
nangyari sa Luisita sa nakaraang
apat na dekadamula sa pagbuo
at pagbasura sa SDO, masaker,
tambiolo, at ang pamamahagi ng
mga kopya ng Certicate of Land
Ownership Award (CLOA).
Isang malaking palaruan ang
dating pagtingin niya sa asyenda
noong bata pa siya. Ngunit hindi
maikukubli ng kaniyang inosenteng
imahinasyon ang kagimbal-gimbal
na katotohanan. Nakita niya ang
mukha ng katotohanan sa pagdalo
sa mga pulong ng unyon, sa hapis
na mukha ng kaniyang ama tuwing
manggagaling sa bukid, sa kaldero
ng kanin na hindi napupuno at sa
lupang sinasaka na kahit minsany
hindi nila napakinabanagan.
Nang lumaon minana niya
ang karit at araro, buong araw na
nagtatanim sa bukid, matiyagang
naghihintay sa panahon ng anihan,
naghahanap ng trabahot panghihiram
ng kapital, ang pag-oorganisa sa kapwa
mga magsasaka upang ipaglaban ang
kanilang karapatan sa lupa, at higit sa
lahat ang pag-iwas sa panganib tuwing
may kilos-protesta.
Lunduyan ng ligalig
Kinabukasan, binalikan ni Ka
Clay ang nangyari noong Nobyembre
14, 2004 kung saan mahigit 5,000
katao ang lumahok bitbit ang
mga plakard at galit na naipon sa
mahabang panahon. Samantalang
tear gas at bala naman ang naging
tugon ng mga pulis at militar na
kumitil ng 14 na katao.
Pagkatapos ng karumaldumal at
madugong karahasan, umigting ang
presensya ng militar sa buong HLI.
Sa bawat pagdaan ng militar, takot
ang tanging nararamdaman ng mga
residente sa asyenda. Kapag may mga
pulong, kultural na pagtatanghal
at payak na salo-salo sa bukid,
matatanaw sa hindi kalayuan ang
mga unipormadong kalalakihan.
Sa isinagawang tambiolo, naging
isang palabunutan ang pamamahagi
ng lupa at CLOA. Kalat ang mga
militar at pulis sa asyenda. May mga
gabi nga raw na hindi makatulog si
Ka Clay dahil sa outpost ng pulis sa
tabi ng bahay niya.
Labis na pananakot at pandarahas
ang ginagawa ng mga militar sa
magsasaka sa asyenda. Maging mga
bata, ginagamit nila para ituro ang mga
lider ng unyon kapalit ng kapirasong
kendi. Pati cultural workers tulad nina
Ericson Acosta at Kerima Tarima ay
dinakip na rin. Kamakailan lamang
may pinatay na lider ng magsasaka
sa Balete sa kasagsagan ng nagdaang
barangay eleksyon.
Bilang tugon sa pag-uulit ng
kasaysayan ng karahasan sa HLI,
bumuo ng kilusang unyon ang
magsasaka para labanan ang ugat
ng paghihirap ng magsasaka: ang
pagkimkim ng Cojuangco-Aquino sa
lupang sakahan.
Ngunit kahit sa panahon ng
ligalig, nakabuo sila sa tulong ng
mga progresibong artista ng isang
rebolusyonaryong kulturang hawig
sa mga nabuo ng mga magsasaka ng
Tsina, Russia, at iba pa.
Ang pangunahing lohikang
nagpapaandar sa kulturang ito ay
ang paniniwalang ang nagbubungkal
ng lupa ay siyang dapat may-ari nito.
Sa kanilang mga kultural na
pagtatanghal, tampok ang mga kanta
at tulang kalimitang isinulat ng
mga makatang tulad nina Acosta at
Alan Jazmines. Mayroon ding mga
sayaw na naglalarawan ng tunggalian
ng uring maralita at panginoong
maylupa. May mga art camps rin tulad
ng Lakbay Sining na nagsasagawa ng
palihan. Sa hinaharap, magkakaroon
ng komiks tungkol sa kasaysayan nito
hanggang sa kasalukuyang desisyon
ng Korte Suprema na ipamahagi ang
lupa sa magsasaka.
Ang mga ito ay ginawa
para makabuo ng naratibo ang
sambayanan tungkol sa pamumuhay
at pakikibaka ng mga magsasaka.
Paggising at paglaya
Bago lumisan, pinagmasdan
kong mabuti ang aking kapiligiran.
Nilanghap ko ang hangin, pilit
pinapasaulo sa aking isip ang amoy
upang habangbuhay na baunin ang
aking karanasan. Pagbalik sa Maynila,
mas nakilala namin ang klase ng
lipunan na aming ginagalawan.
Hindi nalalayo ang pakikibaka
ng magsasaka at ng mag-aaral.
Nagsisilbing pisikal na paalala ang
HLI na hindi dapat tayo makuntento
sa mga programang patuloy na
nililinlang at pinahihirapan ang mga
kababayan nating magsasaka.
Isang malaking sampal
ng katotohanan ang saglit
na pagdalaw sa HLI. Kahit
nasa harap na ng Cojuangco-
Aquino ang katotohanang ito,
nagbubulag-bulagan sila dahil
higit na nakakasilaw ang salapi
na kanilang kinamkam gamit ang
pagmamayari sa asyenda. Hindi
nila inisip ang hirap at gastos ng
pagsasaka at pagtatanim ng tubo,
ang pagsusumikap na magkaroon
ng masaganang ani, at suklian ang
pagod at dugong inaalay sa tubuhan
sa ngalan ng pera.
Hanggang ngayon, tila walang
balak ang mga Cojuangco-Aquino
na tunay at ganap na ipamahagi
na ang lupa sa magsasaka. Hindi
pa rin nabibigyang hustisya ang
mga namatay sa masaker. Ang
paglilinlang at huwad na pangako
ay pakitang-gilas ng mga Cojuangco-
Aquino upang hadlangan ang
pamamahagi ng hustisyat lupa.
Ngunit ang paggising ng
kamalayan ay hindi kailanman
naging komportable. Ito ay isang
proseso ng sakripisyo at pagsisikap
para makamit ang katarungan
at kalayaan.
Photo : Karl Aquino
Page design : Jerome Tagaro
igalig
L
upain
ng
anganib
P
at
L
Julian Bato
Nagsisilbing pisikal
na paalala ang HLI
na hindi dapat tayo
makuntento sa
mga programang
patuloy na
nililinlang at
pinahihirapan ang
mga kababayan
nating magsasaka
8
KULTURA PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013
9
Illustration : Patricia Ramos
Page design : Jerome Tagaro
CROWDS FILL EVERY AVAILABLE
space, taking shelter under tarps and
mausoleum roofs. In a small corner
among day-old roses burns a solitary
candle, standing tribute to the silent
resident of the grave beneath. Its these
sights that ll cemeteries during Undas,
a holiday treated as a celebration and a
reunion in itself, where one could catch
up with both the living and the dead.
Te very nature of these celebrations
has evolved over time, shaped by local
customs and foreign inuences.
Inuenced traditions
All Souls Day is a Catholic Church-
instituted holiday for the honoring
and visitation of departed relatives,
known as Araw ng mga Patay or Undas
in the Philippines. Although held on
November 2, many Filipinos choose
to celebrate days before, including All
Saints Day and its bisperas, known as
Halloween in western traditions. It is
considered a Catholic holiday, as not
all other religions strictly adhere to the
practice. Some Protestant Christian
groups as well as the Aglipayan Church
have maintained the observation in
their own beliefs, joining Catholics in
cemetery visits.
Filipino traditions on death, among
these being the beliefs and rituals
concerning burial and
visitation, are a mix of pre-colonial and
colonial Catholic traditions. In the death
of a relative, one can observe the myriad
traditions reasoned with vestiges of
Catholic doctrine, such as pasiyam
or the nine-day novenas and the
observation of the 40th day after death.
Tese practices stem from Spanish
inuences over their occupation prior to
the turn of the 20th century. Even then,
indigenous traditions are still observed
today, one example being panag-apoy
in Sagada, Mountain Province, where
families would burn blessed pieces of
pinewood over graves during Undas,
a practice originating from Kankaney
groups in the area.
Western inuences perpetrated
through foreign lms, television, comics
and other popular cultural forms brought
Halloween traditions as well as western
stories of monsters and the supernatural
into our collective consciousness. Tis
adapted itself into local popular culture,
with local media showcasing movies
and TV specials not unlike their western
counterparts, featuring localized ghosts
and creatures. News programs such as
Magandang Gabi Bayan were known for
their Undas episodes involving creatures
and supernatural experiences from
around the country. Tis perpetrates a
western element of horror among Undas
traditions, ultimately striking fear in the
audience.
Tese popular ghosts and
creatures have merely been adapted
into our culture from western media
and inuences, often contrary to our
own cultures. As noted in the essay
Imported na Katatakutan by Luna
Siy, creatures such as the dwende
and kapre maintain European and
imperialistic inuences in their
manner of dressing and disposition.
Other creatures directly contradict
local institutions, such as that
of the babaylan or village
healer being rebranded as a
bruja or witch. Inuences like
these only serve to
alienate us from our
cultural heritage,
p o p u l a r i z i n g
symbols reminiscent
of our colonizers
many years ago.
Te price of festivities
People slowly ll cemeteries
readied for the occasion. Tents are
pitched to shield families outside from
the heat of the sun as they gather
around their family plots to eat, pray,
and talk, all part of keeping vigil over
the dead. While the atmosphere of the
area could be described as festive, the
solemnity of the grounds still remain,
with prayers said at the vigils, while
children and adults engage in activities,
such as playing games, sharing stories,
and reuniting with once separated
members.
In mausoleums and among graves
outside, children could be heard
shouting in play, engaging in either eld
games or playing with toys, seemingly
fueled on Halloween candies from
the night before. Gone, however, are
the devilish costumes of the western
tradition, leaving the inner childlike
spirit among them. For most families,
the vigil would extend well into the
night, often prompting stories of
ghosts and monsters, popularized by
commercial media.
Te throngs of people present at
Undas attract many ventures bringing
their products and services to the
cemeteries. Manufacturers of products
such as candles, food products, and
owers increase production to meet the
demand from the holiday, often at the
expense of their own workers. Large
ower shops and malls price small
bouquets or half-dozen roses at P500
to P1,000, a two to four-fold increase
compared to buying from distributors
in ower markets, such as Dangwa in
Manila, where the same six roses would
cost no more than P200 in the days
leading to Undas.
Outside these essential products
in the observation of Undas, families
still have to pay for the upkeep of their
plots year round. Well-o families
can hire caretakers to maintain their
mausoleums. In the Manila North
Cemetery, these caretakers live among
the dead all year round, but are only paid
P600 a year for their services. On the
opposite end, families who are unable to
pay for rent and maintenance risk having
their dead evicted from their crypts. In
the same cemetery, a number of empty,
open graves are visible, while plots of
common graves can be found tucked
away near the fences. Other cemeteries
are demolished for development: one in
San Juan, Batangas was made to relocate
its graves to make room for a private
access road to a resort, to be utilized only
by those who can aord it.
Te great equalizer
Tis exploitation of private
enterprises of what are supposedly
public services and infrastructure aect
the living as well: in the exodus of
people to the provinces, both motorists
and commuters shoulder high toll fees
for trac-laden highways, an eect of
the private management of government
services and infrastructure, leaving
citizens at the mercy of capitalist
hegemony. Major access roads such as
the privately managed South Luzon
Expressway have seen toll increases of
300 percent in a matter of years.
Te rich can get preferential
treatment over their remains, while
the rest risk losing a nal resting place,
disturbed only to serve the interests of
business, which they or their families
may never be able to utilize or benet
from. Even the dead have not completely
escaped the problems of society, and,
with the living, are not exempt of the
abuses of capitalist dicta. Tis class
divide extending to the already dead
contradicts the notion of death as the
great equalizer.
Te realities of commercial and
private exploitation dont receive as
much attention as ghost stories told
during Undas. Tese dont just haunt
ordinary consumers and workers, as
even the dead are still subject to the
whims of private interest. Te very
state of our own cemeteries as well as
the treatment of the dead themselves
is eerily reective of our state today,
and the treatment of our own people.
Sometimes, dead men do tell tales.
Micholo Medrana
I
n
KULTURA PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013
M
e
m
o
r
i
a
m
Urban Evil*
Ronn Joshua C. Bautista
Yet beneath all
that hunk of
glass and steel
lies a glaring
contradiction
that has plagued
the university for
years: that public
assets meant
for academic
purposes are
being used
for prot
Aftermath*
Ma. Rosa Cer Dela Cruz
They, who
never knew
desperation
as we now
know, refuse
to see the
reality of our
situation
OPINYON PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013 10
STEP ASIDE, NEW PHILCOA
overpass. A bigger, badder
monstrosity is in town.
Dazzling everyone with its
modern architecture and wide
variety of fancy restaurants, the UP
Town Center has just opened for
business along Katipunan Avenue.
From an outsiders perspective,
Ayala Land Inc.s latest addition to
their portfolio may seem like any
other mall: big, posh, and buzzing
with new thrills.
One could almost hear the clinking
of coins owing into the Town
Centers cold embrace as students
are lured into a doughnut-eating,
ne-dining trance. Tis is no surprise
when it stands in the strategic
location near three big universities
where our homegrown UP Integrated
School (UPIS)was builtthat is, until
it was demolished.
The UP administration
earlier struck a deal with Ayala
which allowed the corporation
to build a mall on UPIS 7.4
hectare of land in exchange
for rent and a replacement
facility. This, the administration
trumpeted, will supposedly
help the university augment its
perennial lack of funds to carry
out projects such as renovating
the old UPIS building among
other things.
Yet beneath all that hunk of glass
and steel (part of which apparently
fell from the ceiling this weekend)
lies a glaring contradiction that has
plagued the university for years: that
public assets meant for academic
purposes are being used for prot.
Tey did it before in 2000 and
2008 when 5 hectares of the South
Science and Technology Park area
along C.P. Garcia and 38 hectares of
the North Science and Technology
Park across Commonwealth Avenue
were leased to Ayala as well. And
even though both establishments
have obviously become mere call
centers and restaurant hubs, the
administration still insists that these
are for research and development.
Now, as if UP cant get enough of
Ayala, the university has ventured
into another partnership. Tis time,
at the cost of demolishing its own
laboratory school and sweeping it
into a smaller cramped space where
Narra dormitory used to be. Te
university boasts of hitting two
birds with one stone, but simple
facts betray the lies behind this
uncanny scheme.
For months now, UPIS has been
asking for donations to acquire
furniture for its new building.
Apparently, Ayalas contribution
for the new building was not
enough to buy desks and chairs,
causing classes to be delayed for at
least a semester. Moreover, while
UP is guaranteed P34 million every
year from Town Centers lease, UPs
average budget decit amounts to
P11 billion annually.
As such, in exchange for a few
million, UP has willingly let itself
be a tool for the billions Ayala
will soon reap from unsuspecting
wallets. And for a building
more, UP has further become
Ayalas quarry.
At this time when a whopping
P1.43 billion budget cut looms
over UP, we can only expect the
expansion of Ayalas empire on
campus. For as the government
continues to approve less and less
funding for the university every
year, UP will continue to resort
tapping prot-seeking corporations
for some spare change. Tus, it
becomes all the more imperative
that we strengthen our call for
greater state subsidy before our
university, our home turns into one
big Ayala Mall.
*apologies to my classmate Czas
viral blog post
THEY CALL US LOOTERS,
among a dozen other names with
derogatory connotations.
Tey speak as if weve committed
the most oensive, unforgiveable
crime. And for what? A handful
of dirt-ridden goods, some packs
of noodles and junk food that we
intend to bring to our starving
familiesor at least, whats left of
them. Unfortunately, thousands
are still missing, but its not like
they really care about nding them.
Te reporters say were unruly,
out-of-control, in chaos. Tey say
weve ransacked not only dry goods
and food, that weve also taken a
lot of valuablestelevision sets,
dysfunctional chest freezers, and
other items that, for the present,
hold no real value to us.
Tey call us thieves, of the
highest order, opportunists without
any scruples. And theyve brought
a whole army to stop our thievery.
300 soldiers. Imagine that.
Its not ocially a martial rule,
but from that gure alone I think
we can assume that military rule is
in place here. Tey send an entire
army down to stop us from taking
other peoples stu, yet they cant
send enough supplies to aid us in
our hunger and desperation.
Do we prefer to do this? Do we
prefer to be robbed of the last shred
of human dignity and resort to take
something thats not ours?
We grieve the loss of our loved
ones. We suer from hunger and
thirst. Everyday we pass by the dead
who litter the streetsa constant
reminder of what lies ahead for us if
we fail to nd some food to ll our
empty stomachs.
Typhoon Yolanda has robbed us
of our dignity, we say. But I think
it has also robbed the nation of its
humanity. People everywhere judge
us from what they hear on the news.
Tey laud the governments eorts
to restore law and order here. Tey,
who never knew desperation as we
now know, refuse to see the reality
of our situation.
Te state itself has taken sides: by
choosing to protect private property
over saving the lives of many, the
message loud and clear. Its not
true that natural disasters create
a levelling eect between the
rich and the poor. Te rich recover
quickly, and they can even protect
themselves from further harm.
We, the poor, are left to our own
devices, to look for our own means of
survival, dependent on the crumbs
of sympathy we can get from our
more charitable fellowmen. Always,
we are the victim, unable to stand
for ourselves.
Perhaps we are not asking for just
dry goods and clothesa big help in
the here and now but not a long-term
solution for future disasters. Instead,
were also asking you to extend your
help a bit longer by helping shape
and change our society into a better
one, where the government isnt a
self-serving pompous monstrosity
that pretends to care.
Help make our country a
place where eects of large-scale
disasters can be prevented and
minimized not only through disaster
preparedness, but also by preventing
the destruction of our natural
resources. Lets work towards a
future where the government truly
serves the people.
*A message that could have been
written by the survivors of Typhoon
Yolanda, if they were ever oered
an opportunity to say their piece,
apart from sensationalized images of
hysteria and chaos.
the Marketing and Opinion Research
Society of the Philippines Socioeconomic
Classication (MORES 1SEC) instrument
will be considered.
Pascual also proposed to update the
income cut-os of Brackets A, B, C and
D by 30 percent based on ination. For
instance, only students with an annual
family income of at least P1.3 million
will be assigned to Bracket A. Te present
program assigns student with an annual
family income of P1 million to the bracket.
To avoid delays in the processing of
applications, meanwhile, the president
recommended the automation of the
application.
[Sa kabila ng mga pagbabagong
isinusulong], hundi nasasapol ang
totoong problema ng students which is
the high cost of tuition, said Student
Regent Krista Melgarejo.
OPINYON PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN MIYERKULES, NOBYEMBRE 13, 2013 11
NEWSCAN
Te Kule Files Edishun!
EKSENANG PEYUPS

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I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE,
mga birdies ang inyong paboritong
echosera ay mamumulaklak muli!
Simulan na ang pagchuchuva sa mga
anonymous at blind items na na-
Superman mula sa Te Diliman Files -
este, ang original na Jane Fonda ng mga
chika, ang Eksenang Peyups!
Confession 1: Si ateng from the
Kalakal College, na-excite to the max sa
darating na pachukan, kaya pagkatapos
ng kanyang assessment ay gumora siya sa
SM of North Manila para bumili ng mga
chipipay, este, economically viable na mga
damit. Sa kanyang excitement ay hindi
niya namalaysia na sinequester na pala
ng mga taga Bracket A-yala ang tanging
source ng mga bilihin! Sa halip, Bracket B
ang givenchy ng STFlop kay ate, kaya hindi
na niya aord ang ine-eyeball niyang mga
blusa na splotch sa kanyang disposable
income na pangtweet-twition sana. Napa-
MMK pa si ate sa gitna ng daan! Ayutch,
nasagasaan ng dyip en route to Pantrancs.
Chos, nakakaawa nga ang pagcrayola ni
ate, hindi naman kailangang abalahin ang
land transportation oce. Kaya y away
na, little birdie!
Confession 2: Si koya naman,
na-golf sa isang subject, kinailangan
niyang mag-consult sa kanyang prof. Si
prof naman, Kinati Perry sa good looks
ni koya, at nagyaya na magberangju sa
Magins. Payag si koya! Kwatro o kwarto
na nga ba kamo? Sa gitna ng paglaklak at
hithit din ng bugarette, nagawa ni prof
na maglapchukan kay koya! mukhang
may magaganap na kababalaghan!
Continued from page 3
Lider-magsasaka
sa Luisita...
mga taktika umano ng pamilya
Cojuangco upang pigilan ang pagtutol
ng mga magsasaka sa kasalukuyang
pamamahagi ng lupa sa pamamagitan
ng sistemang tambiolo o palabunutan,
dagdag ng AMBALA.
Ayon kay Estrada, mahigit 100 na
mga armadong sundalo at guwardiya ang
nakahimpil ngayon sa Cutcut at Balete.
Sa [paggunita] ng Luisita massacre
sa ika-16 ng Nobyembre, [dapat nang]
mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga biktima
[at] matuloy ang laban para sa tunay na
reporma sa lupa, ani Estrada.
students under the non-paying bracket
dropped to only 10 percent.
Under the present administration
in 2011, a new system for classifying
students to Bracket B was introduced.
Students with an annual family income
of less than P1 million must now submit
a Bracket B Certication along with their
Income Tax Return and a vicinity map.
Failure to submit these requirements
would automatically assign students to the
millionaires bracket.
Te stricter rules on Bracket B
certication then led to an upsurge
in the number of freshmen paying
for the full cost of tuition under
Bracket A, from 29 in 2010 to 900
students in 2011.
Ang bumabahang appeal sa STFAP,
napakahabang pila sa [tuition] loan, tambak
na appeal for late payment of loan and
tuition ay sanhi ng mataas na matrikula sa
ating pamantasan na siyang ibinubunsod
ng patuloy na pagkokomersyalisa ng
edukasyon, said France.
Continued from page 5
1 in 10 STFAP
applicants...
ON BOARD
Continued from page 5
leave of absence from UP Manila due
to unpaid loans.
Pascual instead formed a review
committee to propose amendments to the
Code. Tree other proposals from the Justice
for Kristel (JFK) Alliance, UP Diliman and UP
Los Baos were later considered.
Te proposed revision of Article 330
still requires students to be registered
before they could attend classes. It only
added that students who are unable to
pay for their tuition may avail of loans.
For Article 430, the president
proposed that only students who are
unable to settle their loans will be
notied of their past due obligations.
Te proposal did not specify when such
loan accounts are due. In the existing
provision, loans must be settled a month
before the nal examinations.
Meanwhile, the revision
recommended for Article 431
would allow students with existing
accountabilities to enrol in the following
semesters. At present, students have to
settle their loans before they could enrol.
Proposed STFAP reforms
Reforms in the STFAP are also proposed
to further operationalize the 2013 BOR
policy promoting democratic access to the
national university, said Pascual.
Te revision of the socialized tuition
program is included in the 2011 to 2017 UP
Strategic Plan of the Pascual administration.
Te proposed changes in the STFAP were
rst presented to the Board in April.
Four indicators are currently used
to assign students to brackets: the
applicants desired bracket, declared
household income, predicted income and
special indicators such as gadgets owned.
Under Pascuals recommendation, only
the declared household income and
Nakakaloka, I swear!
Pero, nakakaintriga pa ang sumunod:
totoo naman na wala namang interes
si koya kay prof: all for the grade nga
kamo, nung dumapo ang kamay ni
koya hindi sa dingdong ni prof,
charingdingding!kundi sa lecase
niya, na may gradesheet! Sa quick at
lightning reexes ni koya (Atat major
ata), nacompute niya ang totoong grade
niya na pasadong pasado naman! Huli
si Prof! Kung sakali ma-Jejomar Binay
ka, gawan mo ng paraan, pero wag lang
makinose sa grades! Charot.
Confession 3: Isa pang koya ng
College of Sayang, nagpa-loanshark sa
Wency Vinzons dahil sa mala-diamond
na buhay ngayon. Habang nakahapay sa
mga polyblock ay napatingin si koya sa
isang YooEysSiyah gorlie na rumarampa
sa hallway. Na-starstruck si koya! Candy
Crush niya kasi si gorlie noon pang
nagjojogging pa siya for college rep.
Jumohn Lloyd si koya at lumapetch kay
gorlie nang may nagbells sa grievance
desk ng YooEysSiyah oce; sa isang
tibok ay gone in a ush si ate, habang
si koya naman ay na-grievancezone!
Biktima ka lang ng sistema, koya!
Napasobra na ata ako sa mga blind
items ngayon; pabayaan na po si Lucrecia
Kasilag. Sa susunod na lang, mga
birdies! Choragu!
0935 541 0512
Send in your opinions and feedback via SMS! Type KULE <space>
MESSAGE <space> STUDENT NUMBER <required> NAME and
COURSE (optional) and send to:
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Next weeks questions
2. Ano ang resolutions mo
para sa panibagong semestre?
1. Ano ang masasabi mo sa
naging tugon ni Aquino sa
pagresolba sa problemang
dulot ni Yolanda, lalo na sa
Tacloban?
TEXTBACK
0908 180 1076
NAIS NAMIN KAYONG
anyayahang dumalo sa mga aktibidad
na pangungunahan ng Unyon ng mga
Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) at
Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang-Bukid
sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) bilang
paggunita sa ika-9 na taon ng Hacienda
Luisita Massacre.
Sa Nobyembre 14, Huwebes,
gaganapin ang isang porum-talakayan na
kasabay ng paglulunsad ng nakalathalang
komprehensibong ulat (comprehensive
report) hinggil sa kalagayan ng Hacienda
Luisita, ganap na ala-1 hanggang 4 ng
hapon sa College of Mass Communications
Auditorium (CMC Auditorium), UP
Diliman, Lungsod Quezon.
Maaari rin po kaming kontakin sa
opisina ng UMA, tel. # 4269442 o kay Ka
Angie (09087624520).
Maraming salamat po! TULOY ANG
LABAN!
A Ray of Light Shines
by Sheena Jamora
It's not all bad news. Last November,
ve UP students were each granted a
P10,000 interest-free loan to help pay
for their tuition fees. With so many
students struggling to pay for their
education every semester, ve is by no
means a big number, but it's a start.
One student, Mark*, is a Mechanical
Engineering freshman. His father is a
farmer in Isabela. He had hoped to be
categorized under Bracket E and have
his full tuition waived, but this didn't
happen. Desperate for another solution,
Mark found Sinag.
Sinag Microfunds is a non-prot
start-up aimed at supporting nancially
struggling students like Mark. Trough
their website, Sinag.org, they allow
ordinary people to pitch in to support
their cause. If you would like to be a part
of the Sinag mission, just send an email
to info@sinag.org.
*not his real name
NOWHERE MAN
Alan P. Tuazon
A PUFF, JUST A FEW PUFFS.
After a sembreak-long nicotine
ban at home, I savored every gust
of calm that surged down my
throat. Unlike everyone else in the
ofce who prefers menthol and
lights, I especially love Marlboro
red: I like the aftertaste of
bitterness.
New post-its, a wrecked city,
empty notebooks, and booming
headlines on thousands of deaths:
these welcomed the start of
another semester. Many of my
classesjust as everyone elses
classeswere cancelled last week,
so this weekjust as everyone
elses weeksis the ofcial start
of my semester.
It has been a while since we
talked. I remember you making
a list of the best post-apocalyptic
movies in my old planner, most
of which I already watched:
Omega Man, Dr. Strangelove,
Zombieland, among others.
How unreal they all seem when
contrasted with the raw video
coverage on the fatalities of the
recent typhoon Yolanda.
Another puf.
I was not able to watch the
television the whole weekend
due to presswork. Or was it my
constant fear of death and dying?
I had always feared death. I feel
myself to be unprepared and
unaccomplished. Te after is
uncertaina concept I am too
cowardly to subscribe to and
commit my life principles to.
How thin is the line of morality
that separates right and wrong,
good and evil, anyway?
At the height of scarcity of
food and other necessities in
Tacloban Cityrelayed through
my Facebook newsfeedprejudice
among some friends against the
so-called mobsters who looted
stores forced me to unfriend such
friends. Teftto what extent is
it prohibited?
Calamities transform decent
men into scoundrels. People
stripped of their basic necessities
are labeled thieves. Maybe, one
should ask: why are these people
looting anyway?
School is about to start, yet more
typhoons are likely to occur.
A question of morals