24 November 2014

TO: ALL STUDENT COUNCILS

RE: National Councils Meet for AY 2014-2015

Dear fellow student leaders:

KASAMA sa UP began the year by “breaking barriers.” As an Alliance, we took a step back

in order to see the broader picture of what has been happening in the University amidst

national and global phenomena. Our experiences during the National Congress in

Tacloban became an eye-opener for many, igniting the passionate fire of service burning

within. Over half a year since the last time we gathered, the matters we discussed have

developed into full-blown campaigns carried across the UP system.

However, ordeals continue to bombard the Iskolar ng Bayan. We are confronted with

threats to our stay in the University: meager budget, inadequate facilities, repressive rules,

exorbitant fees, and skyrocketing matriculation. This seemingly infinite list of woes further

limits the accessibility of education, not just in UP, but, in the entire archipelago. Reality is,

while we continue to suffer, there are those few who extort the people’s hard-earned

money for personal interest. Among them are national leaders, government officials, and

public servants who willfully abuse the power bestowed upon them by the people. And as

future nation-builders, we are to inherit this kind of system.

The challenge now rests upon the hands of today’s youth. Recognizing all these trials and

tribulations, what must be done in order to transform the fate of our nation? What could

be our possible alternatives to a domineering power that seems indefatigable and

persistent? How do we carry on with our battles and why should we intensify the calls for

genuine social change? Now, more than ever, it is crucial for us to transcend the

boundaries that halt the formation of an indestructible student movement.

Through the National Councils Meet, KASAMA sa UP shall once again convene student

councils from all campuses of the University of the Philippines. This annual gathering which

will be held in UP Cebu from January 6-8, 2015, aims to further broaden unities and forge

more formidable bonds among UP’s present roster of leaders. For this convention, the

Alliance lined up a series of issue-based discussions, community integration activities, and

plenary sessions for resolution building, mid-year evaluation, and workshop of plans that

shall serve as blueprint for the remainder of the academic year.

Collective leadership is a key concept in the realization of our campaigns and objectives.

It is not every day that we get to assemble as one body, from all the various campuses of

the University; so, we encourage everyone to maximize this opportunity and send as many

delegates as possible. Your participation in this endeavor will definitely contribute

significant insights and provide better understanding of how we could link up all the

experiences of the Iskolar ng Bayan. After all, it is our duty to formulate possible solutions to

all these pressing concerns that we face.

Let this be the beginning of an uprising. Altogether, we will reclaim what is rightfully ours.

From here onwards, a determined student movement, resolute in the struggle for

democratic rights, shall advance with the people and TAKE BACK THE FUTURE.

For a united student movement,

EDUARDO D. GABRAL

National Chairperson

09273841392 | edgabral@up.edu.ph