Philip p ineC o lleg ian
Transcription
Philip p ineC o lleg ian
PhilippineCollegian 13 Hunyo 2006 Martes Tomo 84 Isyu 01 We enemy are the T interrogation, even summary execution. The true journalist, clearly, is now deemed an “enemy of the state.” And rightly so, for in the context of a regime brazenly maintained by a widening spectrum of intensified violence, the only option is to resist. These turbulent times expose the limitations of writing—the kind that proclaims to be “pluralist” and “non-partisan.” For pluralism is impossible in a society wracked by economic inequality and political domination, conditions that make it downright unjust to wield a “neutral” pen, which ultimately sustains the status quo. Moreover, to allow for a “plurality of views” is to propagate even the regressive prevalent discourse, further marginalizing emergent discourses. The decision to write is in itself a subjective act, reflected in one’s mere choice of topic, words and images. The influence of the campus press is wide jether amar here is no safe side—only passivity or resistance. We choose the path of dissent. In these violent times, to dissent is tantamount to death. Opposition is now met with a rain of bullets. And so the massacre of journalists and activists continues. For every time metal tunnels into innocent flesh, so pours forth the true color of struggle: a warm, bloody red. The same grim tone stains the campus press. Many college publications in Diliman alone have remained silenced for many years. Due to the inadequate protection under the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, publications elsewhere are restricted by administrative intervention and non-mandatory collection of publication fees. Editors and staff are under constant threat of censorship, libel, suspension and expulsion. In extreme cases in the provinces, some are subjected to military surveillance, in scope, circulating not only within the academe but also throughout whole communities and larger sectors. It is imperative, then, that publications never be ignorant of the condition of the broader population which they necessarily serve—even if it entails the threat of physical assault, or possibly, death. Here, in this most perilous position, begins the Philippine Collegian 2006-2007. This term delineates itself from its predecessor, which chose brusque rhetoric over concrete action. For the Collegian 2005-2006 bannered activism, advocacy and dissidence in its pages, so they said—but in the same breath, increased hierarchy in the physical office structure, widened disparities in honorarium configuration and erratic presswork procedure. Editors and staff resigned, and organizational development suffered, compelling many to cast doubt on the institution’s journalistic integrity. Activism, advocacy and dissidence should not be reduced to mere rhetorical embellishment. Revolutionary rhetoric is a convenient tool for those with progressive pretentions, and the state tolerates unless otherwise threatened. To genuinely rally behind these principles, however, is a matter of life and death. The Collegian experience is a testament to the danger in choosing the side of the oppressed: under the Marcos dictatorship, three Collegian editors died for these very ideals, proof that concretizing these aspirations is no trivial matter. Today, in the face of renewed state tyranny, the path of dissidence cannot be taken sitting down. This year’s Collegian is aware that history is written on the streets, not in the comforts of an airconditioned office. Change cannot be achieved through the printed page alone. The Collegian can only provide the blueprints for defiance. Ultimately, it is the people who will prove decisive. You, our readers, will be the ones to make history. You are the true writers of our time, armed not with pens but with the collective power to draft a new route in our nation’s history. In the same way, this Collegian will not hesitate to go beyond writing and brave into the fray, into struggle itself. The path of change will transcend the twelve pages of newsprint, the Ivory Tower of the academe, and the confines of the cities. The path of defiance is paved with the blood of fellow journalists and activists who did not compromise even in the face of death. It is the path of those who articulated the discourse of the marginalized: the workers, peasants, women, students and national minorities. It is the path of those who stood firm in their advocacy but did not live to see the fruit of their cause. Their deaths shall not be in vain. If being an “enemy of the state” means taking a stand for the marginalized and demanding what is just, then this Collegian shall indeed be an adversary. This is the road less travelled. This is the path we choose. P H I L I P P I N E C O L L E G I A N | Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas - Diliman Punong Patnugot Karl Fredrick M. Castro • Kapatnugot Katrina Angela R. Macapagal • Mga Tagapamahalang Patnugot Wendell M. Gumban, Frank Lloyd B. Tiongson Mga Patnugot sa Balita Jerrie M. Abella, Melane A. Manalo • Mga Patnugot sa Grapiks Ivan Bryan G. Reverente, Rouelle T. Umali • Patnugot sa Kultura Jeeu Christopher A. Gonzales Patnugot sa Lathalain Margaret P. Yarcia • Tagapamahala ng Pinansiya Ma. Rosalie A. Beronio • Mga Kawani Louise Vincent B. Amante, Paolo A. Gonzales Pinansiya Amelyn J. Daga • Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon Paul John Alix • Sirkulasyon Gary Gabales, Ricky Icawat, Amelito Jaena, Glenario Omamalin Mga Katuwang na Kawani Trinidad Basilan, Gina Villas • Pamuhatan Silid 401 Bulwagang Vinzons, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman, Lungsod Quezon • Telefax 9818500 lokal 4522 Email kule0607@gmail.com • Kasapi Solidaridad - UP System-wide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations • College Editors Guild of the Philippines Tungkol sa pabalat Guhit: Ivan Reverente. Kuha: Jake Salvador. Disenyo: Karl Castro. E d i t o r y a l 03 Balita Philippine Collegian | martes | 13 hun 06 Sa muling pagkakapasa ng ‘05 nat’l budget UP, balik budget cut Antonio Tiemsin Jr. K ukulangin ng mahigit tatlong bilyong piso ang matatanggap na budget ng UP dahil sa muling pagpapatupad ng 2005 pambansang budget. Nagsara ang Kongreso noong Biyernes nang hindi napipinal ang deliberasyon sa P1.06 trilyong panukalang pambansang budget ngayong taon, kaya muling ipatutupad ang General Appropriations Act (GAA) ng 2005 na naglalaman ng alokasyon ng gobyerno sa lahat ng departamento at programa nito. Nais bawasan ng Senado ng P31 bilyong pondo ang Opisina ng Pangulo kaya hindi nagkasundo ang dalawang Kapulungan sa bicameral conference. Sa ilalim ng 2005 GAA, P4.45 bilyon ang napunta sa UP System, kasama na ang pondo ng Philippine General Hospital. Mataas ito kaysa P4.16 bilyong panukala ng Department of Budget and Management sa 2006, ngunit malayo sa P7.82 bilyong kailangan ng unibersidad ngayong taon ayon sa administrasyon ng UP. Bawas Maituturing pa ring may budget cut sa muling pagpapatupad ng 2005 budget, ani Alvin Peters, pangkalahatang-kalihim ng National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP). Aniya, maaaring hindi man nabago ang nominal na halaga ng budget, nabawasan pa rin ang tunay na halaga nito dahil sa pagbaba ng halaga ng piso at pagtaas ng bilihin. Tatanggap ang UP ng P3.75 bilyon para sa personnel services, P91.14 milyon para sa capital outlay, at P609.71 milyon para sa operating expenses. Ayon kay Assistant Vice President for Planning and Finance Arthur Cayanan, problema pa kung maibibigay talaga ng pamahalaan ang buong alokasyon. Hanggang ngayon halimbawa, nakabinbin pa rin umano ang pagpapalabas ng P3.5 milyon para sa isang equipment outlay. Sa pag-iral ng 2005 GAA, magkakaroon ng “realignment” kung saan maaaring ilaan ang pondo ng mga natapos nang proyekto noong 2005 sa mga bagong poyekto ngayong taon. Dagdag-bawas Sa GAA ng 2005, P102.58 bilyon itutuloy sa p.11 For three consecutive years Mulat na pagsusulat Admin intervention mars Perspective EIC selection J e r r i e M . Ab e l l a F Nagtipun-tipon ang ilang miyembro ng League of Filipino Students sa harap ng Bulwagang Vinzons upang tutulan ang mga ipinatutupad na pagtaas ng bayarin ngayong pasukan at patuloy na humingi ng mataas na bu dget. april deevian mosquera or the third time in a row, allegations of administrative intervention hound the selection of the editor in chief (EIC) of UP Los Baños’s (UPLB) official student publication, the UPLB Perspective. UPLB Chancellor Luis Rey Velasco appointed second placer Samuel Jay Pasia as EIC instead of first placer Christian Ray Buendia. This was after Velasco’s decision to hold a second interview on April 4, a deviation from the original guidelines set by the selection committee (SC). The initial editorial examination process was composed of a written test, which is 85 percent UP ChaCha sa Senado Demokratisasyon sa pamumuno ng UP, isinusulong pa rin Melane A. Manalo N aipasa na sa Mababang Kapulungan ang panukalang pagbabago sa Saligang Batas ng UP, ngunit hinihingi pa rin ng iba’t ibang sektor ang representasyon sa pinakamataas na pamunuan ng unibersidad. Inaprubahan ng Kamara ang HB 5008 o “An Act to Strengthen UP as the Premier State University” noong Abril, na nagkonsolida na sa iba pang panukalang-batas na may kanya-kanyang bersyon ng pagpapalit sa UP Charter ng 1908. Naisalang naman sa Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture ang Senate Bill (SB) 1833 o “An Act to Strengthen UP as the National University” bago matapos ang nakaraang taon. Itinatampok sa HB 5008 ang pagkakaroon ng UP System Assembly (UPSA), na bubuuin ng mga halal na kinatawan ng mga mag-aaral, guro, administrative staff at alumni mula sa pitong constituent university ng UP. Ang UPSA ang magiging tagapayo sa Board of Regents (BOR), na siya pa ring magiging pinakamataas na lehislatura sa UP. Halaw ang UPSA sa HB 2327, isa sa panukalang-batas na pinag-isa sa HB 5008, kung saan nilalayong ganap na palitan ng UPSA ang BOR. Isinulong ang pagpapalit sa BOR ng iba’t ibang sektor sa unibersidad para sa representatibong pamama- hala ng UP. Ngunit hindi kinikilala ng SB 1833 ang UPSA. Gaya naman sa HB 5008, panukala nitong gawing tatlo mula sa lima ang appointee ng Pangulo ng bansa sa BOR. Tungo sa demokratisasyon? Bagamat kinikilala ng HB 2327 ang UPSA, hindi pa rin nito “tunay at tuwirang” naisasangkot ang iba’t ibang sektor sa pagpapasiya sa mga tunguhin ng UP, ayon kay Clodualdo Cabrera, tagapangulo ng All-UP Workers’ Union. Ngunit para kay Faculty Regent Roland Simbulan, bukod sa magiging magastos para sa UP itutuloy sa p.10 of the examinees’ total grade, and an interview conducted by the 5 judges, which is 15 percent. Buendia topped the written part but ranked last in the first interview, both of which were conducted on March 11. Pasia, on the other hand, placed second in both categories. “No significant difference” Student Regent Raffy Jones Sanchez revealed that in a dialogue, Velasco said he decided to hold a second interview because statistically, he found “no significant difference” between the scores of Pasia (85.30) and first placer Buendia (87.83). Velasco said he applied the Ttest, a method of statistical analysis aimed at determining credibility of measurements, in forming his opinion. Buendia contested that such test can only be used when there is only a small difference between the scores. He added that “common judgment” shows that a 2.53 margin is not small. Further, Sanchez believed such method should be used for their raw scores instead of their average scores. Velasco also explained that the SC submitted a report without a recommendation for the top examinee’s appointment, so he believed it was up to him to select who among the examinees should be appointed. The Revised Rules and Regulations Governing the Perspective, however, states that the examinee obtaining the highest average in the editorial examination shall be recommended to the chancellor by the SC for the EIC position. Redundant interviews Sanchez questioned the conduct continued on p.10 Prozac Nation I’ve never been into those rah-rah team sports, which seems to infect half of collegiate males. I would rather play email chess with a virtual friend than watch the World Cup on the idiot box. I am obsessed, however, with the abomination that infects the other half – video games. Oooh, don’t let me get started on this. Or maybe I’m just over generalizing. So when my shrink told me to “go out and keep myself busy,” I stayed home the whole summer and exhausted my video game collection. Having been diagnosed as a manic-depressive just before the second semester ended, I must have lived up to it and wallowed in self-pity. I was indeed busy, but I never did go out. Not even Mitch, my girlfriend, could persuade me. Not that she tries hard, either. She’s always busy with her rallies and discussions and all that activist stuff. Humph. That pompous, self-righteous – er, I shouldn’t use expletives in this column. I guess my life as a recluse might have gone on for who knows how long, until one of my editors personally visited me and told me that I’ve been tasked to write a front page column every week for an entire year. Why would I want to go out anyway? I have everything I need at home. My notebook computer is filled with more games than I can handle. My newly purchased N91 has more songs in it than I can listen to in a day. The television is perpetually on, albeit on mute most of the time. I have a cupboard filled with microwaveable food. I bought my medication for two months all at once. My pets, Mary Kate the cat and Ashley the guppy, keep me company. Maybe I’m just moping. I’m supposed to be an Industrial Engineering senior now, but a couple of DRPs and INCs in my record during the past year seem so threatening. I might be put on probation (again), or even kicked out of the college. The last day of late registration isn’t until next week. I still have a few days to think. Meanwhile, I procrastinate. I’ll be using my wireless broadband service to email this column, despite my editor’s insistence that I go to the office. I have more important things to do. A new custom expansion pack of my favorite Dungeons & Dragons incarnation was just released. Noel Pacis Hernaiz P.S. I still haven’t thought of a name for this column. Maybe next week : ) 04 Balita Philippine Collegian | martes | 13 hun 06 Sa lumalalang pamamaslang ng estadong Arroyo 43 kabataan patay Wendell Mollenido Gumban K ahit mga kabataan ay hindi sinasanto ng pasismo ng estado. Mula nang manungkulan si Gloria Arroyo sa puwesto noong Enero 2001, umaabot na sa 43 kabataang may edad 25 pababa ang napapabilang sa kaso ng extrajudicial killings, ayon sa National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP). Maituturing na extra-judicial ang pamamaslang kung ang maysalang pinaghihinalaan pa lang ay hindi na pinaabutan ng akusasyon o paglilitis at agaran na lamang pinapatay. Patay kang bata ka Pinakahuli sa mga ito sa hanay ng kabataan si Pedro Angcon, limang taon nang organisador ng militanteng organisasyong Anakbayan, na pinaslang noong Mayo 16 sa Guihulngan, Negros Oriental. Nagtamo ng 38 tama ng bala si Angcon, edad 25, mula sa mga di kilalang lalaking sakay ng motorsiklo. Ayon sa mga saksi, nagpanggap na kostumer ang mga salarin sa vulcanizing shop na pinapasukan ni Angcon. Iginigiit ng mga kaanak ni Angcon na may pulitikal na motibasyon ang pagpatay. Nauna na umanong nailagay sa listahan ng Order of Battle (OB) ng ika-11 Infantry Batallion si Angcon, kasama ng apat na iba pang kasapi ng mga militanteng organisasyon sa kanilang bayan. Ang OB ay talaan ng mga personalidad sa mga organisasyong itinuturing ng militar na prente ng mga komunista, na layon nilang sugpuin. Kaya nagiging pangunaghing target ng pamamaslang ang mga progresibong organisasyon, pahayag ng Anakbayan. Nauna nang pinaslang si Cris Hugo, kasapi ng pambansang konseho ng League of Filipino Students, noong Marso 19 sa Legazpi City, Albay. Isang lider naman ng Anakbayan sa Zamboanga del Sur, si Brian Macalisang, ang hindi pa rin natatagpuan matapos umano itong dukutin sa bayan ng Tukuran noong Abril 30. Sa edad na 16, siya na umano ang pinakabatang biktima ng mga “di maipaliwanag na pagkawala” sa ilalim ng admin- Nang maabot ang Mendiola Bilang tugon sa panawagang wakasan ang pamamaslang at karahasan ng estado, dahas pa rin ang ipinambuwag sa demonstrasyon noong Hunyo 09. Candice Anne Reyes Kung ‘di lilipat sa mamahaling kiosks istrasyong Arroyo, ayon sa pahayag ng Anakbayan. Lagot kang bata ka Ayon sa NUSP, marami pang kabataan, kahit pa mga lider ng konsehong pang-mag-aaral, ang kasama sa OB ng militar. Halimbawa nito ay si Mike Malano, pangulo ng University Student Council ng Bicol University, kung saan nag-aral din si Hugo. Ani Malano, isang kakilalang nakahawak ng mga dokumento ng militar ang nagsabing kasama umano siya sa OB. Inulat ni Malano ang pagmamanman sa kanya ng mga ahente ng militar sa burol ni Hugo noong Marso. Nasa OB rin ng militar sa Silangang Visayas ang dating bise-presidente ng NUSP para sa Visayas, ani Marco delos Reyes, pambansang pangulo ng NUSP. “Only this fascist government has the resources, opportunities and motives to conduct a systematic ‘neutralization’ of progressive organizations and people,” ayon naman kay Delos Reyes. Dagdag pa ng NUSP, maging ang mga estudyante at opisyal ng paaralan ay ginagamit para magmanman sa mga lider-estudyante at mga militanteng grupo sa paaralan. Halimbawa umano ang pagpapasapi sa mga piling estudyante sa Student Intelligence Networks bilang bahagi ng Reserve Officers Training Program. Ani Delos Reyes, karaniwang nakikipagsabwatan ang militar sa mga opisyal na tanggapan ng mga unibersidad upang makakuha ng impormasyon. “It is unfortunate for any society when its government devours on its own children. Rest assured that the youth will not be cowered but will Itutuloy SA p.10 M aaring mawalan ng kabuhayan ang mga maninindang nasa paligid ng Academic Oval kung igigiit ng administrasyon ng UP ang kanilang paglipat sa mga bagong tayong kiosk. Bukas na ang itinakdang huling araw ng pagbabayad ng mga manininda ng apat na libong piso bilang paunang bayad sa paglipat sa mga nasabing kiosk. Ani Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Ida La’O, ang mga hindi makapagbabayad ay tuluyan nang paaalisin sa kampus. Itinakda ito sa inihapag na contract of lease ng administrasyon sa mga manininda noong Hunyo 5, na unang napag-usapan nooong Agosto ng nakaraang taon. Kasama sa paunang bayad ang tig-dalawang libong pisong cash deposit at isang buwang advance rental fee. Ayon kay Narry Hernandez, pangulo ng Samahang Manininda sa UP Campus Inc. (SMUPC), napagkasunduang itakda sa dalawang libong piso ang upa noong Enero mula sa orihinal na tatlong libo. Members of college publications nationwide gathered on May 19 to 23 for the 66th National Student Press Convention of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines in Sto. Domingo, Albay. Among the activities was a caucus which aimed to determine the state of press freedom in each school. Resolutions passed during the plenary included calls to oppose Charter Change and remove President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from power. k a r l f r e d r i ck m . c a s t r o CHEd fails to curb tuition hikes V i ct o r G r e g o r L i m o n D espite its regulatory m easures, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) failed to prevent higher educational institutions (HEIs) from implementing tuition hikes this school year. For all state universities and colleges (SUCs), CHEd issued a memorandum on March 30 ruling out tuition and miscellaneous fee increases. For all private HEIs, CHEd issued Memorandum Order No. 14 (CMO 14) on May. It set the prevailing inflation rate, currently at 7.6 percent, as the ceiling for increasing tuition fees in private HEIs without prior consultation. Schools planning fee increases higher than 7.6 percent have to request permission from CHEd after consulting concerned parties, including the students. Violators However, in the National Capital Region (NCR) alone, 97 out of 292 private and public schools increased their tuition fees as early as May. This, in spite of the said two CHEd memoranda. According to Carl Marc Ramota, vice president of Kabataan youth sectoral party, they received reports that several state schools increased tuition. “[There] are SUCs in Bicol, Panay and other parts of the country that are implementing a ladderized tuition hike. [Many] state schools are actually charging exorbitant processing fees which are even higher than the basic tuition,” Ramota said. The ladderized tuition hike is a scheme wherein schools impose higher fees on incoming freshmen UP Manininda, nanganganib mapaalis V i ct o r G r e g o r L i m o n Pressing issues Nababagabag ang karamihan sa mga manininda dahil hindi nila kakayanin ang upa. “[Wala kaming kita] dahil bakasyon nitong nakaraan,” daing ni Linda Ahito, may-ari ng fishball stand malapit sa Main Library. “‘Di rin naman malaki ang kinikita namin kahit [may pasok].” Lugi sa upa Ani La’O, ang relokasyon ng mga manininda ay bahagi ng tungkulin ng pamunuan ng UP. “[Nais] naming pagandahin ang Academic Oval at siguraduhing malinis, masustan- while maintaining the rates for upper class students. A similar system was imposed in UP this academic year. (see related article on p.5) Meanwhile, 54 private HEIs in the NCR increased their tuition beyond the allowed 7.6 percent. Examples include the Far Eastern University (33 percent for Nursing and 12 percent for the rest of its courses) and the University of the East (20 percent for business administration courses and 25 percent increase for incoming freshmen). De La Salle Araneta University (DLSAU) also increased tuition by 10 percent in most of its courses, St. Joseph’s College 20 percent, La Consolacion de Paro 15 percent and La Consolacion Manila 15 percent. A DLSAU official, who requested anonymity, told the Collegian that their school was permitted by CHEd to increase tuition by 10 percent in most of its courses. Lip service siya, at mura ang mga produktong ipagbibili sa mga estudyante ng UP.” Ngunit ayon kay Hernandez, marami silang nais ipatanggal sa nilalaman ng kontrata. Isa rito ang pagtaas ng upa hanggang P2,500, hindi pa kasama ang Value-Added Tax, pagdating ng ikalawang taon. Kinukondena rin ng mga manininda ang ilang panuntunan sa paggamit ng mga kiosk, tulad ng pagbabawal sa paggamit ng LPG tank. Pahihintulutan lamang umano ang mga kagamitang de-kuryente tulad ng itutuloy sa p.11 According to National Union of Students of the Philippines President Marco delos Reyes, the two CHEd memoranda were forms of “lip service” by the government. “It [appears] that the memoranda are only recommendatory in essence rather than obligatory since they can be forgone,” delos Reyes said. “They are just instruments of the Arroyo administration to appease the students, to create the false image that they are doing something to help the students in their plight.” The Kabataan Party also concontinued on p.10 05 Balita F reshmen hopeful of UP’s low tuition were in for a grim surprise as many tuition and other fee increases were implemented this semester. Last summer, the Board of Regents (BOR), UP’s highest policy-making body, approved several tuition and miscellaneous fee increases affecting various UP units. According to UP Diliman (UPD) University Student Council (USC) Chairperson Paolo Alfonso, most of the increases were not consulted by the UP Administration with students currently enrolled in the university as they only applied to freshmen. (see related article on p12) Given the increases, Student Regent (SR) Raffy Sanchez expressed fear that UP is becoming less accessible to underprivileged students. (Fee)ling the illness Incoming UP College of Medicine (UPCM) freshmen were struck by widespread fee increases in UP as tuition in the college increased from P11,500 to P20,000, as approved by the BOR on April 27. Outgoing UPCM Dean Cecilia Tomas said the increase would help augment UPCM’s budget, which mostly goes to the personnel. But for Faculty Regent Roland Simbulan, the increase was unwarranted as half of the UPCM student population come from low-income families. He also said the increase would be detrimental to UP students already affected by the spiraling cost of living. Meanwhile, UPCM Representative to the UP Manila USC Donn Valdez said the increase would also adversely affect the already dwindling number of doctors in the country. “Sabi ng Philippine Medical Association, isa sa mga rason kung bakit kumokonti ‘yong mga nag-dodoktor ay dahil sa pagtataas ng medical education,” he said. Master revision Meanwhile, the UP Extension Program in Pampanga (UPEPP) also implemented a tuition fee increase from P500 to P1,500 per unit for incoming students of the revised Masters in Management (MM) program. According to Sanchez, the increase that the BOR approved on May 25 would also affect 40 students who would shift to the program. In its proposal, the UPEPP Administration said the increase would be used to improve facilities and teaching materials needed by the new MM program. UPEPP Student Council Chairperson Buenalyn Galura, however, said the increase was too high for a state university, especially since the new program is trimestral. “Tatlong buwan lang ang preparasyon ng isang mag-aaral upang makaipon para sa susunod na trimester,” she said. Philippine Collegian | martes | 13 hun 06 First Day Hike Fee increases welcome UP freshmen; system-wide tuition hike mulled M a . A n n a K ry n e s s a L . R i v e r a (Book)ed increase Meanwhile, access to UP’s libraries had become more costly for UPD and UPEPP students as the library fee in both units was increased from P400 to P800 for undergraduate freshmen students, and from P800 to P1,200 for incoming graduate students. According to UP President Emerlinda Roman, the increase would support the modernization program of the libraries. Alfonso, however, said the libraries’ expenses should not be shouldered by the students as they are part of UP’s basic service to the students as a state university. According to Sanchez, the large number of fee increases imposed only to freshmen has alarming implications. “Pwede na tayong mag-increase ng iba’t ibang fees yearly without student consultation on the ground that incoming students naman ang maaapektuhan,” he said. Massive attack Students from other year levels were not spared from fee hikes as well, like UPD College of Mass Communication (CMC) students who felt the blow of CMC’s laboratory fee hikes this semester, as approved by the BOR in December. The increase was highest in the Broadcast Communication department, where almost all lecture courses hiked their fees from zero to P200, and the Film department, which raised their fees to as much as 100 percent. There were 49 CMC courses that increased lab fees. In its proposal, the CMC Administration said the increase was for maintenance of facilities and purchase of new equipment needed by the college’s lab courses. Former SR Ken Ramos contested the implementation of lab fee hikes especially in lecture courses, but the CMC Administration said lecture courses use equipment such as computers and LCD projectors that require lab fees. Ramos also said the lab fee hikes only make CMC education less affordable. Momentary relief Meanwhile, UP students could be momentarily relieved from these fee increases as the late registration fee (LRF) was waived in all UP units for this semester, as decided by the BOR on May 25. The LRF is stipulated in Article 332 of the University Code as fine for students who enroll after the regular registration period. But Sanchez said the LRF had become an income-generating scheme for the university as flaws in UP’s enrolment process force many students to register late, like lack of subjects offered. Political organization Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP, which conducted campaigns for the scrapping of the LRF, also said in a statement that the LRF was cruel to students who already find it difficult to pay tuition in time given the country’s current economic crisis. Danger ahead Still, danger looms ahead for UP students as the committee formed by Roman to review UP’s tuition policy recently proposed to increase undergraduate tuition for future incoming freshmen in all UP units. If passed, Sanchez revealed that tuition will increase from P300 to P1,000 per unit in Diliman, Los Baños and Manila and from P200 to P600 in Baguio, Mindanao, Pampanga and Visayas. The proposal was submitted to Roman last March and will still undergo further study, according to Sanchez. He also said that such a proposal is bound to make UP education more biased towards those who are well-off, and thus more commercialized. On the other hand, Roman said UP is not increasing tuition to generate profit. “We are raising tuition because we need to augment our limited financial base so that we can offer better education to our students,” she said. Alfonso, however, said the UP Administration can intensify its fight for greater state subsidy instead of financially burdening the students. “‘Pag kumilos naman ang mga estudyante, napatunayan natin, magtatagumpay tayo,” he said, referring to the February 14 mobilization that successfully slashed about P100 million in UP’s budget cut in 2000. 06-07 Kultura Kuya Doy Sit-in sa FA noong 80’s si Alfredo Bres na ngayon ay naghahanapbuhay sa harap ng University Arcade. Sa halagang 400 pesos pataas, si Kuya Doy ay gumuguhit at nagpipinta ng mga portraits o kung minsan pa’y mga class projects ng mga estudyante. Philippine Collegian | martes | 13 hun 06 Isaw sa Ilang-Ilang Iisa yata ang likaw ng bituka ng mga taga-UP dahil pagpatak ng alas dos ng hapon, tatambay na sila sa may Ilang-Ilang upang pawiin ang gutom sa isawan ni Aling Angie. Dinarayo rin ito ng mga estudyante mula sa iba’t ibang paaralan, pati ng mga artista at anawnser. Macario Sakay Si Arnel Jaca ang dakilang tanungan ng direksyon, manininda ng dyaryo, kendi, yosi at inumin sa Ilang-Ilang shed. Dahil sa mahabang buhok na ayaw niyang paputulan at sa mala-rebeldeng katauhan daw niya kaya siya binansagang Macario Sakay. Kilala rin siya bilang Long Hair at Newsboy. Edna Sinoy Mang Romy Dating pangulo ng Samahan ng Manininda sa UP Campus, nakapuwesto si Ate Edna sa tapat ng Vinzons. Suki niya ang mga tambay ng Vinzons at ang mga nag-oopisina dito, tulad ng Kulê, USC at OSR. Manalo man o Campos, ayon kay Mang Romy, siya raw ang may-ari ng Vinzons. Kapag nakasalubong mo siya, asahan mong tatanungin ka niya ng kanyang trademark na “Meron ba tayo diyan?” Narry Hernandez Si Kuya Narry ang kasalukuyang pangulo ng SMUPC. Nakapuwesto siya sa may Main Lib, at paboritong pit stop ng mga mahihilig mag-jogging. Benjie Matatagpuan si Benjie sa Sunken Garden, mag-isang hinaharana ang mga nakatambay doon. Madalas niyang kantahin ang mga kanta ng The Beatles at iba pang mga lumang awitin. Manininda sa tapat ng Narra Allan Palaging bihis at naka-postura, iniikot ni Allan ang Balay Kalinaw, Ilang-Ilang, University Arcade at International Center upang makipag-usap sa mga kaibigan o sa sarili. Maaaring masalubong mo siyang may pinupulot sa daan o nagsasalitang mag-isa. Mula sa murang mga silog meals hanggang sa burgers at fries, ang nokturnal na tindahang ito ang sagot sa gutom ng mga taga-Narra kapag malalim na ang gabi. Isang mobile na tindahan, sa likod ng isang pick-up truck nakalagay ang mga pagkain nila. Aling Remy Mang Cecilio Siya ang lola ng bayan sa Filipiniana section ng Main Library. Dagdag-aliw sa pagbabasa ng readings mo ang blue, yellow at pink na mga kulay ng papel sa kanyang photocopy corner. At para di ka maligaw ng landas, may pabaon siyang Bible quote on post-it notes kasama ng readings mo. Kapatid siya ni Mang Nestor na isa ring fishball vendor. Dahil naka-pwesto sa may Vanguard, dinudumog ang kanyang mga paninda ng bawat daraan. Mabenta ang mga pagkain ni Mang Cecilio dahil sa kakaibang timpla ng sauce. Manang Sol Ka Omeng Tuwing 4:30 ng hapon, inaabangan na ng mga taga-CHK si Manang Sol para sa mga tindang pagkain nito. Kilala rin ni Manang Sol kung sino ang mga miyembro ng kung aling varsity. Pinakamabenta sa mga estudyante ang penoy, itlog-pugo, at toge dahil sa masarap na suká nito. Saan ka pa makakakita ng CR na may tindahan sa loob? Sa unang palapag ng AS, naroon ang munting tindahan ng janitress na si Ka Omeng na nang ireklamo’y nakapuno ng isang buong yellow pad ang petition para wag tanggalin. Pangarap daw niyang mag-Emeritus. Eng’g Photocopy Ladies Manang Pilar Sila ang pinakamagagandang photocopy ladies tuwing may exam sa College of Engineering. Halos pagkaguluhan sila sa pwesto nila sa ikatlong palapag dahil bukod sa murang photocopy, may mga sample exam sila na kung di mo makita’y tutulungan ka pa nilang hanapin. “Manang Pilar” ang tawang ng iba sa kanya, pero hindi dahil bininyagan siyang Pilar nung bata pero dahil sa harap ng Pilar Herrera Hall ng AS nakapuwesto ang photocopying machine niya. Kuya Bong Nang gibain ang tambayan sa tapat ng Faculty Center dahil sa pagpapatayo ng kiosk, isa ang tindahan ni Kuya Bong sa mga muntik nang mawalan ng puwesto. Pero ngayon ay buhay pa rin ang tindahan niya at madalas na tambayan ng mga siklista. Ate Edith Itinanghal na Best Actress para sa isang sexy role sa isang student short film si Ate Edith. Kasing benta ng tinda niyang pisbol at siomai ang mga chika niya tungkol sa buhay niya. Lilipad na raw papuntang Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ang bibong tinderang ito. Mang Nestor Manong Kuli Si Manong Kuli ang gwardiyang nakatoka tuwing gabi sa College of Mass Communication. Pinarangalan siya noong nakaraang taon sa pagkakahuli niya sa isang magnanakaw ng mga kable sa CMC Media Center na halos sampung taon nang ginagawa. Shimra Ang bundat na chow-chow na pag-aari ng theatre stalwart na si Tony Mabesa. Madalas siyang makikita sa Acad Oval tuwing Linggo, kasama minsan ang amo niyang propesor. Dudz Matinik na askal si Dudz lalo na sa mga babaeng aso sa FA. Mahilig itong matulog sa girl’s CR. Pinapakain siya ng mga estudyante ngunit bali-balitang nilapa nito ang isang pusang nagngangalang Batik. Galisin na ito ngayon dahil napabayaan ng dating amo nitong gwardiya na sa may checkpoint. Sa mga taga-Fine Arts, siya si Manong Fishball na handa kang pautangin kung gutom ka’t kapos. Paborito rin siyang artista ng mga estudyante sa FA, maging sa short film man o sa docu. Sa maniwala’t sa hindi, 450 ang friends n’ya sa Friendster na gawa ng mga taga-FA para sa kanya. Bukod sa fishballs, marami rin siyang tindang ulam na nanganganib mawala dahil sa nakaambang pagbabawal ng paggamit ng LPG sa UP Manininda. Zorro Suot ang maskara at kapa, madalas makita si Zorro na naglalakad o tumatakbo sa Acad Oval pagpatak ng hapon. Kahit na maraming estudyante ang nagigimbal kapag nakakasalubong siya, apir naman ang bati sa kaniya ng mga suking joggers sa UP. t e k s t o : k u lt u r a s e ct i o n . d i s e n y o n g pa h i n a : g r a p i k s s e ct i o n . A ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas-Diliman ay hindi lamang kampus – isa rin itong komunidad. Sa pagpasok ng mga bagong Isko at Iska sa pamantasan, samu’t-saring mga karakter din ang inyong makikilala bukod sa mga kaklase at propesor. Maaaring hindi mo alam kung saan ang E. Jacinto St., ngunit malamang alam mo kung sino si Kuya Narry. O kaya’y nakalimutan mo na ang pangalan ng propesor mo sa Kas I ngunit suki ka pa rin ng isaw ni Aling Angie. Karamihan sa kanila ay maaaring mawala nang bigla na lang, tulad ng mga manininda, mga guard, at mga manggagawa. Ito ay mapa ng mga personalidad sa kampus na naging bahagi na ng ating komunidad. Fishballs sa FC Isa sa mga fishball stand sa gitna ng FC Parking Lot at AS ay kakaiba dahil sa metikolosong paggugupit ng fishball, squidball at kikiam na binebenta dito gamit ang old reliable kitchen shears ni Manong. Espesyal rin ang footlong hotdog nila dahil may choice of coleslaw and pickle relish ka pa. 08 Lathalain Philippine Collegian | martes | 13 hun 06 Dire Arithmetic ConCom’s Proposed Revisions Subtraction Chartering Neglect • Article II, Sec. 13. The State recognizes the vital role of the Youth in nationbuilding and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. • Article II, Sec. 17. The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development. • Article II, Sec. 9. The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all. Charter Change and its Implications on Philippine Education Addition • Art. XII, Sec. 12. …Citizenship restrictions are hereby lifted relative to the ownership and lease of alienable lands of the public domain which include agricultural, residential, commercial and reclaimed lands, development of natural resources, ownership of franchises and of public utilities, mass media, education insurance and advertising, unless otherwise provided by law. Parliament shall provide for limited foreign ownership in regard to franchises granted to corporations involving public utilities of large scale. (Proposed amendments to the said provision as proposed by Speaker Jose de Venecia, Representatives Prospero Nograles, and Miguel Zubiri directly lift citizenship requirements in the ownership of the said sectors) • Article XVI, Sec 3. Educational institutions at the preschool, elementary and high school levels, other than those already established by religious groups and mission boards, shall be owned solely by citizens of the Philippines, or corporations or associations at least sixty per centum of the capital of which is owned by such citizens. Parliament may, however, require increased Filipino equity participation in all educational institutions. (The qualifying phrase “pre-school, elementary, and high school levels,” however, opens up higher education institutions to foreign ownership) Frank Lloyd Tiongson SOURCE: Government Neglect of Education: Exacerbated by the Proposed Constitution, CODAL (2006) Come July, at least according to Arroyo and her allies, the government will be able to launch the national plebiscite, which will consecrate the proposed Charter Change (ChaCha). Proponents highlight the shift from a presidential form of government to parliamentary-federal, lauding primarily the latter’s advantages in speedy and decisive legislation due to the merger of legislative and executive powers in a parliament. ChaCha supporters also claim that the said change will ensure a more faithful democratic representation. A closer look at ChaCha’s drawing board, however, reveals dubious details not normally pronounced in the administration’s praise releases. It incorporates revisions and deletions of salient provisions in the current constitution, which would make the systematic neglect of education seem like clockwork. Absolving Abandonment Generally, the proposals of the Constitutional Commission (ConCom), a consultative assembly headed by former UP president Jose Abueva, involves the removal of key provisions from Article II of the current 1987 Constitution. Among the said provisions are sections 9, 13, and 17 (see sidebar). ChaCha absolves the government from its responsibility of providing adequate social services as seen in the deletion of Section 9 under the said Article of the current constitution. For one, the administration’s skewed priorities translate to a proposed P721 billion allotment to debt servicing, seven times more than the proposed education budget for 2006. Moreover, while Malacañang has allotted a measly P2 billion for classroom construction, it has reserved P6.4 billion for ChaCha. From the deletion of section 13 alone, Marco delos Reyes, president of the nation-wide alliance of student councils National Union of Students in the Philippines, maintained that ChaCha “completely realigns the perspective of government” in terms of promoting the development of the youth mainly through education. ChaCha, evidently, gives more leeway for military and debt servicing. With the removal of Section 17, the ageold assertions to the “right to education” and “increased state subsidy to education” will no longer hold any constitutional basis. As such, Delos Reyes said, “[ChaCha] totally legitimizes state abandonment of education.” Outside Interference As if by twisted providence, the ConCom’s proposal opens colleges and universities to foreign ownership under Article XVI, Section 3 (see sidebar). Several lawmakers, among them Representatives Prospero Nograles and Miguel Zubiri, even posed the direct removal Chartered Interests Delos Reyes, meanwhile, added that ChaCha “does not, in any way, reflect the interest of the people, especially the youth.” Clearly, Palatino stressed, ChaCha is merely meant for the “political survival” of the present administration in light of the broad clamor for Arroyo’s removal from office. Transitory provisions in the proposed ChaCha open the prospect of Arroyo’s stay in power until 2010, ditching the supposed 2007 national elections while eluding impeachment for various issues hounding her regime such as the Hello Garci controversy among many others. Allowing the Arroyo administration to prolong its reign only means the perpetuation of present education policies, which the ChaCha conveniently affirms. Among such policies are the Medium and Long Term Higher Education Plan and Philippine Agenda for Educational Reform, all of which systematically legalize state abandonment of education. Concrete manifestations of the said policies are reflected in the gradual decline of state support for the public education sector by means of opening it to private investments or, as presently seen, the escalation of student fees. Millions of youth, evidently, will continuously find themselves forced out of school every school opening. Delos Reyes urges students to intensify protests against ChaCha through information campaigns that necessary lead to massive demonstrations. CODAL, meanwhile, currently addresses the issue through the legal arena but nonetheless calls for the active and bold involvement of the youth and the academe to “thwart attempts to further marginalize the youth and education.” Behind all the acclaim accorded by the administration to the ChaCha, the brewing resistance fueled by the youth will be its death sentence. a r t w o r k : k e n d r i ck b a u t i s ta . pa g e d e s i g n : c h e s k a m o n t e s . W hen it seems unlikely that the sorry state of Philippine education has any room left for worse scenarios, leave it to the master artist of worst-cases, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself, to exceed all expectations. of citizenship restrictions on the ownership of education institutions. Considering the ConCom’s proposed ammendments, Delos Reyes anticipated the intensification of commercialization and privatization schemes in the education sector. According to Raymond Palatino, president of Kabataan, a youth partylist participating in the coming elections, around 85 percent of tertiary schools in the country are already privately run. This is a clear manifestation of the government’s disregard for accessible quality education. In light of the proposed revision, Counsels for the Defense of Liberties (CODAL), a lawyers’ group campaigning against ChaCha, maintained in a position paper that “if transnational corporations will own our universities and colleges, profit becomes a primary concern while education and learning takes secondary importance.” CODAL, moreover, added that under such set-up, curricula will be surely “geared to the needs of foreign markets” rather than tailor-made for the needs of the country. For instance, the sudden emergence of information technology-centered education institutions during the 90s and the current boom of nursing schools clearly reflect an education system configured to satisfy the needs of the foreign market. To visualize the possibility of foreign ownership of education institutions, Delos Reyes suggested “reviewing history textbooks” and see how the country’s education system merely served and affirmed the American colonial regime instead of producing social critics and professionals geared towards national industrialization. 09 Opinyon Philippine Collegian | martes | 13 hun 06 Silid 401 k at r i n a m a c a pa g a l t’s been almost a year since I last stepped foot in this office. The walls were painted white, far from the dirty green shade I was accustomed to. The rooms and the furniture were arranged differently. I tried to look for familiar graffiti on the conference table and found none, for they were now neatly covered with dark brown paint. Worse, the beloved blue couch, where countless late-night conversations took place, was nowhere to be found. I grieved for memories that were buried underneath all that was new in the place I grew up in. Yes, I grew up here, literally, emotionally, socially. If these walls could talk, it would speak of days and nights of necessary agitations, eureka moments, shared tragedies, and everything else that challenged my comfortable truths. The memories written on the walls of this office, however, go beyond my personal recollections. These walls speak of how week after week since its establishment, student writers and artists strived to produce Collegian issues that would remain true to its activist tradition. It would speak of the students whom it housed and how they continuously struggle to live up to the institution’s history of alternative journalism. The Collegian’s history as an institution is engraved on these walls. If these walls could talk, they would hark back at some of the Collegian’s most tumultuous times. These walls would condemn the repression of campus press freedom during the Martial Law years, when the Collegian struggled to produce issues even as mainstream publications were seized by the dictatorship. The walls of this office txtback Send your opinions and feedback via SMS! Type: KULE <space> your message <space> student number (required), name and course (optional) and send them to 0928.721.1557 Non-UP students must indicate any school, organizational, or sectoral affiliation. WARNING: We don’t entertain textmates. Next Week’s Questions: 1. Ano’ng masasabi mo sa bagong fee increases sa UP? 2. Ano’ng masasabi mo sa unang isyu ng Philippine Collegian 2006-2007? These walls stand as firm as the fact that the Collegian has never been a neutral institution. These walls saw how every term was different from the other, in terms of style, professionalism, and most importantly, in their principles. would also remember the times when the political contradictions among the editors and staff of the Collegian were seen in the opposing views written on the editorials and columns published simultaneously. In recent history, these walls would tell stories of the controversies and protests surrounding the editorial examinations, which indicate that there exists widespread recognition of the significant role the Collegian plays in campus and national politics. These walls stand as firm as the fact that the Collegian has never been a neutral insti- Fresh Meat or New Dissident? Frank Lloyd Tiongson here are two possible ways of seeing how we will eventually turn out to be in this university. One, as tenderized meat softened through comfortable surrender to the institutions we were taught to worship – ready for consumption as soon as we step out of the university. Two, as dissidents toughened by the sharpest principles and commitment to uncompromisingly serve the people – considered poison to the rotten system. We can all trace our first steps in the university’s busy avenues, administration offices, and classrooms for our GE subjects. Eventually, however, our map transcends the geographical to the ideological. The fresh meat strictly limits his/her route inside the comfort zone of the academe, rushing from one classroom to the other, occassionally going to rock concerts inside the campus, anything that would enhance and affirm all illusions that would protect him/her from the hazards of knowing plight and destitution. The dissident, meanwhile, is no less different. Like the fresh meat, the dissident tution. These walls saw how every term was different from the other, in terms of style, professionalism, and most importantly, in their principles. Each term produced issues that exposed their stances, even as some terms, time and again, refused to acknowledge their biases. If these walls could lay down judgment, they would recognize which terms truly stood by their advocacies, as well as those which did not go beyond their claims. As I look around this office and try to recreate the memories that seem to have already been lost, I later pick up bits and pieces in the office that I still recognized. The old Graphics table is still here, and the antique refrigerator is still running. The small table where “US TROOPS OUT NOW” is written has not been painted over. These things make me remember that despite the physical had grandiose plans for his/her own future. Sticking to the books before meant a brighter future, a large house or two, luxurious salaries, or, heaven help us, a career in government. The only difference is the dissident dared to stare at reality straight in the eye, rife with all the intricate details of inequality and poverty, and from then on, never chose to shut his/her own eyes. Next thing you know, the dissident has extended his/her changes, the tradition that this office signifies has no yet been lost. This is probably my last year in the Collegian. I have been here long enough to realize that one can never stay within the confines of this office, for these walls are also limitations in themselves. Ultimately, I say, break these walls, tear them down, brave through them. Because even though it is true that the Collegian’s history began within these walls, it ought to persist more so outside of them. The fresh meat thinks s/he always has the right answers because s/he seems to get all the highest grades, while the dissident only knows how to ask the right questions. The dissident’s contentment, however, lies not in getting unos in his/her subjects, but in being able to serve the people. Even when the dissident is scorned for his/her beliefs, which the fresh meat merely sees as disturbing his/her hollow and illusory peace, s/he will never hesitate to trumpet the chants of discontent, raise the banners of struggle, and raise the fists of swift and decisive justice. As such, whatever we do has never been the simple trick of circumstance. Being accorded the tag Iskolar ng Bayan, with all the “glory” attached to it, does not automatically reserve us a place in history. Nor does it imply any sort of privilege. It implies a challenge posed to all freshies to live up to its true meaning, which is the service we owe The tag, Iskolar ng Bayan, ultimately, is a call for dissidence route from the campus to the outskirts of Metro Manila and beyond – to the striking workers of Cavite to the farming communities of Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. Being a dissident is the last thing your parents would want you to be. Because the dissident is an acrobat, constantly waiving his/her future to walk the tightrope, while the fresh meat is a mere audience, safe in his/her own seat. to the people, our benefactors. It implies a scholarly understanding of the plight of the people, the quandary the status quo have the gall to call normality, and, subsequently, the commitment to end its grim narrative. The tag, Iskolar ng Bayan, ultimately, is a call for dissidence. In this note, we welcome the freshies of academic year 2006-2007. Gusto mo bang maging bahagi ng Philippine Collegian? Umakyat ka lang sa Rm 401 Vinzons Hall! Bukas na bukas ang lahat ng seksyon. News/Balita, Features/Lathalain, Culture/Kultura: Magdala ng bolpen at dalawang bluebook. Grapiks Illustrator: Magdala ng bond paper at art materials of your choice. Photographer at Layout Artist: Magdala ng bluebook at maikling portfolio ng mga gawa. Online staff: Magpakilala at mag-email ng portfolio sa kule0607@gmail.com Kitakits! Huwag kang matakot, di kami nangangain ng tao. Call for Contributions The Philippine Collegian is now opening its pages for contributions from student writers, subject to the approval of the Editorial Board (EB). You may email your compositions to kule0607@gmail.com, or send them to our office at Rm 401, Vinzons Hall. Please encode your works (maximum length: 900 words / two pages of single-space text) and sav them in a diskette or attached as an .rtf extension file. Contributions approved by the EB may be edited for brevity and clarity. Below are segments open to contributors: First Person – If you feel you can no longer contain verses and sentiments within the sanctuary of your anonymity, the segment, actually, the whole UP community, shall be your confidant. Class Struggle – Tales of triumph or mishaps within the four walls of the classoom. Tell us about your struggles against terror teachers, crazed classmates, and skewed philosophies. Under Pressure – Campus journalists of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. As an institution committed to the advancement of press freedom, the Philippine Collegian welcomes true-to-life stories on the perils of writing for the campus press and advocating change through the power of the pen: libel, withholding of poublication funds, and the classic tale of administration intrvention. Members of various college publications are encouraged to share their sob stories. ! s u t c a t Con Rm. opy to kette c 0607@ it a dis le u m k b su il a or r ity. E m il mail BOX o ezon C via sna with IN an, Qu to us please nsion), P Dilim , te 0 x U 4 e W r it e , ll 6 a 6 tf local zons H with .r 818500 401, Vin ferably Fa x 9 om (pre subject. s. il e gmail.c ty. ta th e nd clari tact d CAN in revity a nd con NEWS inions, ed for b dress a it p d d o a , e n e m a may b e criticis rwise) are include Letters structiv or othe ns, con e (violent Questio d prais s n io ct a sals, an re o d p n ro a p es, nt su e c is e t d n va s, in on rele missive can. r stands metric ur trash it h y o u e. Kilo ed to o rd c is e w a welcom rw TYPE e fo be con b ’T l T il se N a w s P le ts. DO nd release cemen on’t se announ tion!? D moldy unctua p n o e s th n... n note easy o -writte nd, go r badly CAPS a ages o ss e IN ALL m x rred fa us blu paper. scratch Inbox n Newsca 10 Grapiks Philippine Collegian | martes | 13 hun 06 Demokratisasyon... mula p.3 43 kabataan... mula p.4 CHEd... FROM p.4 S ipa t j u a n pa o l o s. verzosa Uhaw. Dalawa lang sila sa mahigit 250 mag-aaral ng Pundakit Elementary School sa Zambales. Dito, bawat libro ay pinaghahatian ng dalawang estudyante. Limang piso kada buwan ang kanilang bayad sa kuryente. Iisa lang ang kompyuter ng paaralan na ginagamit lamang ng natitira nitong siyam na guro. Isinanla sa isang dayuhan ang lupain ng paaralan. Limampung libong piso lamang kada taon ang upa, at ang munisipyo ang siyang nakikinabang sa halip na ang paaralan. Ngayon, malaking bahagi ng lupa ang kinatatayuan na ng isang high-class beachfront resort. Admin... from p.3 11 Lathalain Philippine Collegian | martes | 13 hun 06 UP, balik... mula p.3 Philippine Collegian 1986-2005 E ighty-four years and no single Philippine Collegian. The building where the newspaper holds its office – along with other student institutions – is named after one of its first editors in chief, Wenceslao Vinzons. The beginning years of the publication saw its having sponsored Miss Collegian, and publishing photos of the most popular students. During the Marcos years, the Collegian published what mainstream newspapers cannot – or will not – publish. RASP, or Radical Activist Student Paper, was the dominant framework. In the last 20 years however, the newspaper’s thrust vacillated from term to term. The RASP framework has been twisted, played with, appropriated and made to respond to “the needs of the times,” with more contentious terms like “pluralism,” “objectivity” and “postmodernism” entering the fray. 1996 The Collegian editorial exam captured the interest of the nation when second placer Voltaire Veneracion filed a complaint against winner Richard Gappi, claiming the judges were biased. The case was junked, but Veneracion still became editor due to a technicality. Months later, the Rebel Collegian was published with an anonymous editorial board. 2002 Ellaine Rose Beronio vowed to crumble the Collegian’s ivory tower. The Collegian, along with the rest of the university, condemned the US invasion of Iraq. During the USC elections, the Alpha Phi Beta fraternity allegedly hoarded copies of the Collegian. 1997 Lourdes Gordolan, a former USC councilor, was hounded by a complaint regarding her citizenship before assuming the post of editor in chief. Articles discussing sex were abundant. Post-EDSA I 1986 The Collegian editorial board, headed by Dean Karlo La Viña, echoed the Left’s call to boycott the national elections. 1987 Ma. Cristina Godinez’s term sought to expose the newly installed Aquino administration. Readership was down. 1988 This term saw the inclusion of light news articles, campus scene and similar features. The editorship of Patrocinio Jude Esguerra III also denounced the murders of 13 farmers in the Mendiola Massacre. 1992 Beset by problems regarding honoraria, food subsidy and absenteeism, many resigned from Pablo John Garcia’s Collegian. 1993 Again, the RASP framework was reinvented in Bernard Cobarrubias’ editorship. The battle cry was pluralism, and more weight was given to local issues, consigning matters of national interest into the periphery. RASP and its various incarnations 1998 The Collegian was published in full color during Jeanie Bacong’s editorship, which some of its staff described as having no thrust at all. 1999 After four years of a broadsheet Collegian, Seymour Sanchez downsized it once again to tabloid format. Like Ac-Ac, Sanchez’s term was described as hard-line RASP. For the first time, the masthead only read Kulê. The Arroyo Years 1989 Ruben Carranza Jr.’s term was among the first to espouse pluralism as a framework. Circulation staff Donato Continente was illegally abducted in front of Vinzons Hall for the alleged killing of an American military officer. He was released only in 2005. 1990 Francis Ronald Perez’s Collegian was beset by internal problems. Despite this, the term called for the university to respond to the crisis of democracy. 2003 Sherwin Mapanoo continued the previous term’s thrust, and adamantly opposed the proposed UP charter change through Senate Bill 2587. Senate guards attacked and detained Rafael Lerma, Collegian photographer and graphics editor, while covering a mobilization against SB 2587. The Textback segment was also launched, enabling readers to send feedback through SMS. 2004 Jayson Fajarda’s editorship saw the election of a new UP president and a new Diliman chancellor. When articles about an alleged hazing by the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity were published, members of the fraternity inserted photocopies of a statement from the victim’s father inside the Collegian’s pages and allegedly hoarded copies of the newspaper. 1994 Michael John Ac-Ac’s term downsized the Collegian from broadsheet to tabloid. This was also when the Graphics section was formally created. The term was considered “hard-line” in its interpretation of RASP. 2000 Herbert Docena almost resigned near the end of his term due to the staff’s defiance against his dictatorship. The term also saw the ouster of former president Joseph Estrada. 2001 1991 The editorship of Alecks Pabico refused to take a stand in the move to expel the US bases from Philippine soil. He also instituted the Filipino language policy in the Collegian. 1995 Ibarra Gutierrez, who was elected Chairperson of the University Student Council after his editorial term, reverted to the pluralist framework and the broadsheet format. Perhaps the weirdest Collegian format in its time—neither broadsheet nor tabloid but somewhere in between—can be attributed to Duke Bajenting’s term. As with Docena, Bajenting claimed to be “objective” and “non-partisan.” 2005 Juan Paolo Colet’s term was attacked from all sides, including some members of the Journalism Department. Midyear, the format changed from broadsheet to tabloid, the masthead was changed, and several members of the staff and the editorial board resigned. In the midst of the impeachment complaint filed against President Arroyo, the Collegian published a special UAAP issue. One of the largest single-term deficits was also incurred, amounting to about P250, 000. UP Manininda... Mula p.4 Ngunit lingid sa kaalaman ng nakararami, tuwing bakasyon din nagpupulong ang Board of Regents, ang pinakamataas na lupong tagapagpasya sa mga polisiya ng UP, upang magdesisyon ukol sa mga bayarin ng pamantasan. At dahil iilang mag-aaral lamang ang nasa pamantasan upang makapagmatyag sa mga planong ito, hindi agarang nailalantad ang mga planong ito ng BOR. Nitong bakasyon lamang, kumalat ang isang text message sa mga mag-aaral ng UP Diliman na tumaas raw ang halaga ng matrikula kada yunit. Hindi man totoo ang balita, hindi rin ito malayong mangyari sa hinaharap kung susuriin ang mga naganap na pagtaas ng bayarin at iba pang pagpaplano nitong summer. We know what you did last summer Maraming tataas ng bayarin sa pagpasok ng Hunyo. Batay sa datos ng mga bayarin mula sa Office of the University Registrar, tumaas ang library fee ng freshies mula P400 tungo sa P800 sa lahat ng kolehiyo ng UP Diliman, samantalang P800 tungo sa P1,000 naman ang babayaran ng mga mag-aaral Lathalain na papasok sa graduate studies. Bukod tangi naman ang College of Business Administration na nagtaas mula P700 tungo sa P1,200 na library fee. Samantala, taong 2004 ng Setyembre nang magmungkahi ang mga kawani sa College of Mass Communication ng UP Diliman na itaas ang mga laboratory fee sa kanilang kolehiyo. Inaprubahan ito noong bakasyon ng Disyembre 2005. Nitong summer 2006, nagpasya ang BOR na ipataw ang mga nasabing bayarin, na nagpataw ng laboratory fee sa Broadcasting Communication at Journalism. (sumangguni sa artikulo sa p.5) Kabilang din ang iba pang yunit ng UP sa mga nagtaas ang bayarin. Halimbawa, sa UP Pampanga, ginawang P1,500 mula P500 kada yunit ang trimestral na matrikula ng Masters in Management. Samantala, sa UP Manila, inaprubahan ang pagtaas ng matrikula ng Kolehiyo ng Medisina mula P11,500 tungo sa nakalululang P20,000. Ayon sa dokumento ng pulong ng BOR noong Abril 2006, iginiit ito ng administrasyon ng UP Manila sa kadahilanang ang mga magulang at mag-aaral na lamang P h i l i pp i n e Collegian martes 13 hun 06 ang stakeholders na hindi pa nakapag-aambag para sa operasyon ng kolehiyo. Tila may basehan rin ang pagkalat ng nabanggit na text message nitong summer. Sa pagpupulong ng BOR noong Mayo 27, 2006, pinagpasyahang patuloy na pagaaralan ng naatasang komite ang posibleng pagtaas ng matrikula mula P300 kada yunit hanggang P1,000 kada yunit sa mga susunod na semestre. Summer breakaway Maituturing na estratihikong hakbang ng BOR ang pagtataas ng bayarin noong summer. Ani Student Regent Raffy Sanchez sa isang pulong ng Katipunan ng mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP, “Ayon sa administrasyon, hindi kailangang ikonsulta pa ang planong pagtataas ng bayarin sa mga mag-aaral ng pamantasan sapagkat ihahain naman ang mga ito sa mga bagong papasok na Iskolar ng Bayan.” Aniya, batay sa kilos ng adminstrasyon, maasahan ang taun-taong pagtaas ng bayarin at ang tuluyang pagpapaliban sa karapatan ng mga magaaral para sa isang demokratikong konsultasyon hinggil sa anumang isyu ng UP. artikulo: mini u. soriano. Ayon pa kay Sanchez, sa ganitong pagpapasya ng BOR, kinaliligtaan ng administrasyon ang mga mag-aaral bilang sektor ng pamantasan. Sa proseso ng demokratikong konsultasyon, kailangang malinaw na ilahad ng administrasyon sa mga mag-aaral ang kalagayan ng pamantasan at mga planong kaugnay dito. Para kay Sanchez, kailangan kabilang ang mga mag-aaral sa pagsusuri at pagpapasya ukol sa mga isyu, imbes ns ipinapaalam na lamang kapag napagpasyahan na ng BOR. SummerFeever T uwing tag-init, nag-uunahang pumunta sa kani-kanilang bakasyunan sina Isko at Iska, habang may iilan lang na pinipiling pumasok sa summer classes. Ang bakasyon ay panahon ng pagpapahinga ng mga mag-aaral, hindi lamang mula sa mga akademikong gawain kundi mula rin sa mga gastusing karaniwan na nilang kinakaharap bawat semestre. d i b u h o : k e n d r i ck b a u t i s ta . d i s e n y o n g pa h i n a : n o e l pa c i s h e r n a i z . The summer of all fears Sa malawakang pagtingin, maiuugat ang pagtaas ng mga bayarin ng UP sa komersyalisadong kalagayan ng edukasyon sa bansa. Lumiliit ang regulasyon ng pamahalaan sa edukasyon at napapasailalim sa operasyon ng pribadong sektor ang maraming eskwelahan. Nagkakaroon ng pagtaas ang mga bayarin sa State Colleges and Universities dahil lumiliit ang pondo na naibibigay ng pamahalan. Ayon kay Raymond Palatino, pangulo ng Kabataan sectoral party, itinuturing na negosyo ang edukasyon sa Pilipinas kaya’t tanging ang mga mayroong kakayahang magbayad na lamang ang nakapagaaral. Dahil sa hagupit ng komersalisasyon, napapalitan ng korporatisadong oryentasyon ang dapat sana’y makabayang oryentasyon ng mga pamantasan tulad ng UP. Isang halimbawa nito ang pagpapaupa ng UP sa lupa nito upang gawing Technopark ng Ayala Corporation. Pinopondohan ng korporasyon ang mga pag-aaral ng mga estudyanteng may kursong nasa linya ng agham. Dahil dito, kung maglaon, malayang magagamit ng korporasyon ang mga pag-aaral sa kanilang negosyo imbes na sa pagpapaunlad ng siyensa sa bansa. Ani Carla Co ng Education and Research Committee ng University Student Council, kailangang patuloy na ipaglaban ang pagtataguyod sa makabayan at makamasang edukasyon lalo na sa kolehiyo. Sa kalagayan ng UP, dapat igiit ang pagbibigay ng pamahalaan ng karampatang budget sa pamantasan at pigilan ang pagkaltas dito. Dapat suportahan ang mga pagkilos ng mga mag-aaral ng UP na naninindigan laban sa taun-taong pagkaltas ng badyet sa UP, at sa lumiliit na pondo sa edukasyon ng Pilipinas sa kabuuan. Sa muling pagpasok nina Isko at Iska ngayong Hunyo, sasalubungin sila ng mas mataas na matrikulang nakasaad sa kani-kanilang Form 5. Tapos na nga naman ang bakasyon, at muling iingay at sisikip ang pamantasan sa pagbabalik ng mga mag-aaral. Bagamat tapos na ang tag-init, hitik naman ang panahon sa itinaas ng mga bayarin. Ang katapusan ng summer ay simula lamang ng mas mainit na pagtutol sa kawalan ng konsultasyon sa mga mag-aaral ukol sa patuloy na komersalisasyon ng edukasyon.