up newsletter june 2011

U.P. Newsletter U.P. Newsletter U.P. Newsletter 1

U n i v e r s i t y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s C o m m u n i t y N e w s p a p e rU n i v e r s i t y o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s C o m m u n i t y N e w s p a p e r

VOLUME X X XII NUMBER 6 DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY JUNE 2011

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

Wired UP

In celebration of its centennial, the UP College of Law has redesigned their website at http://law.upd.edu.ph. The newly launched site boasts easier navigation for users. It also features a special section dedicated to the College’s centennial celebration.

UP Law Website Relaunched

I N S I D E

8 9 2 4CSSP, OCD conduct disaster preparedness training in UPD

Pascual calls for prudence in spending

Mothers of missing UP students fi le charges vs. Palparan et. al.

CMC honors Lourdes Estella-Simbulan (1957-2011)

UP tops PHL universities in QS rankings despite non-participationJo. Florendo B. Lontoc

Despite i ts non-par t ic ipat ion, the University of the Philippines regained its standing as the number one university in the Philippines in the annual Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking of Asian universities.

UP placed 62nd in the 2011 Asian University Rankings’ Top 200. Only three other Philippine universities made i t to the top 200. Ateneo de Manila University ranked 65th; University of Santo Tomas, 104th; and De La Salle University, 107th.

In the previous QS ranking of

UPD has new vice-chancellors

UP Cebu College (UPCC) Dean Enrique Avila, Alsidry Sharif and Ernesto Pineda are preventively suspended from offi ce for 90 days.

They will be further investigated under Administrative Disciplinary Tribunal (ADT) Case Number 2011-001 for gross negligence, grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.

UPCC Associate Dean Richelita Galapate has been designated as OIC.

The ADT which is tasked to conduct an investigation of the case is composed of Atty. Rosario Rodrigo Larracas (chair), Prof. Alden Lauzon and Dr. J. Prospero De Vera III.

Larracas (Offi ce of Student Affairs) is from UP Manila while Lauzon (College of Arts and Letters) and De Vera (National College of Public Administration and Governance) are from UP Diliman.

For a background on the issue, please read the article in the UP Newsletter (April 2011, page 1) titled “Ouster of UP Cebu dean demanded” (http://www.up.edu.ph/upnewsletter.php?i=1412&archive=yes&yr=2011&mn=4).

Camille Dela Rosa

UPD Chancellor Caesar Saloma formally swore in fi ve new vice-chancellors (VCs) last May 9 at Quezon Hall.

The new VCs are Dr. Ronald Banzon of the College of Science as VC for Academic Affairs, Dr. Benito

T w o n e w members of the UP Board of Regents (BOR), the highest policy-making body of UP, were elected by students and staff in separate elections last April.

UP Law student Maria Kristina C. Conti was elected

Preventive suspension of UP Cebu College dean, 2 others

UP students, staff select new regents

See story on page 10UP celebrates SP Lopez’s birth centennial

Asian universities, Ateneo was ranked 58th, beating UP which was in 78th place. UST at that time placed 101st; and La Salle, 106th.

QS started its world university rankings in 2004, then in partnership with the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES). At the end of October 2009, THES decided it would no longer use data provided by QS due to criticisms against the latter’s methodology.

According to the QS websi te (http://www.topuniversities.com),

the rankings are based on “Academic Peer Rev iew (40%) , Employer/Recruiter Review (10%), Student-Faculty Ratio (20%), Citations per Faculty (20%), and International Factors (Faculty and Students) 5% each.”

In 2008, UP expressed reservations about agreeing to a proposal by QS to spend around $48,930 or around P2 million to promote UP at QS’s Top Universities publication and fair.

The current UP administration,

student regent during the General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) held in UP Mindanao from April 4 to 5. Conti will join the BOR for AY 2011-2012, taking over for Jaqueline Joy Eroles.

Meanwhile, student leaders Rainier Astin Sindayen and Fermina Agudo were selected as second and third nominees, respectively. They shall assume the position of student regent in the event that Conti, for whatever reason, vacates the position, as mandated by Article IX, Section 7 of the Codifi ed Rules for Student Regent Selection.

Jossel Ebesate, chief nurse at the Philippine General Hospital, was elected last April 13 by UP rank-and-fi le employees in the different constituent universities (CUs) as staff regent. He succeeds Clodualdo Cabrera, the fi rst staff regent elected in 2009.

About 56 percent or 4,862 out of 8,686 qualifi ed administrative staff and research, extension and professional staff (REPS) exercised their right to vote.

Both Conti and Ebesate began their respective terms last June 3 when they attended their fi rst BOR meeting and took their oath of offi ce.

(Continued on page 5

Pacheco of the College of Engineering as VC for Research and Development, Prof. Virginia Yap of the UP Extension Program in Pampanga as VC for Administration, Prof. Ma. Corazon Tan of the College of Social Work and

Community Development as VC for Student Affairs and Prof. Melania Abad of the College of Arts and Letters as VC for Community Affairs.

Their appointments took effect last May 3.

Newly elected UP Staff Regent Jossel Ebesate

Clockwise from left top picture: UP President Alfredo E. Pascual; The UP Staff Chorale; Mrs. Adelaida Escober-Lopez, wife of former UP President SP Lopez; UP Vice-President for Academic Affairs Gisela Concepcion viewing photos of former UP President SP Lopez.

Photos by Jun M

adrid

2 U.P. Newsletter JUNE 2011

The mothers of missing UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño filed charges against the suspected perpetrators four days before Mother’s Day.

Linda Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño went to the Department of Justice (DOJ) last May 4 to fi le criminal charges against Ret. Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr., former commanding offi cer of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, and other individuals for the disappearance of their daughters who were allegedly abducted by the military in the early hours of the morning on June 26, 2006 in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

Based on the sworn affi davits of eyewitnesses, the criminal acts include rape, serious physical injuries, arbitrary detention, maltreatment of prisoners, grave threats, grave coercion and violation of Republic Act No. 7438 (An Act Defi ning Certain Rights of Person Arrested, Detained or Under Custodial Investigation as well as the Duties of the Arresting, Detaining and Investigating Offi cers, and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof).

The complaint also named Palparan’s subordinate offi cers, Lt. Col. Rogelio Boac of the 56th Infantry Battalion and Lt. Col. Felipe Atonado of the 25th Infantry Battalion, as respondents. In addition, M/Sgt. Donald Caigas and

“He deserves to be released, for his continuing incarceration is a grievous loss to the growth of a truly democratic culture of the Filipino people.”

National Artist for Literature and UP Professor Emeritus Bienvenido Lumbera gave this reaction on the arrest and imprisonment of UP alumnus Ericson Acosta.

Acosta, a freelance journalist, was arrested by elements of the 34th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army last February while doing research on human rights violations in Baranggay Bay-ang, San Jorge, Samar for the

A for mer UP v ice -pres ident has been appointed head of a new agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Prof. Amelia Guevara, former vice-president for academic affairs, is currently on secondment as the first chief of the DOST’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).

Guevarra is a faculty member of the UP Diliman (UPD) Department of Chemistry.

T he PCIEERD i s the newly c o n s o l i d a t e d c o u n c i l o f t h e DOST, a r e su l t o f the merg e r o f the Ph i l i pp ine Counc i l f o r Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) and the Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD) in June 2010.

Guevara has served in various capacities in the DOST’s Scientific Career Council, Board of Trustees, Phil ippine Science High School, External Review Committee of then PCIERD and the Governing Council of the then PCASTRD.

Former UP VP appointed PCIEERD chiefArlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo

UP professors, progressive groups demand freedom for detained UP alumnusKIM Quilinguing

Mothers of missing UP students fi le charges vs. Palparan et al.Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo

Concepcion Empeño and Linda Cadapan, with their respective legal counsels, rally outside the DOJ compound.

M/Sgt. Rizal Hilario were charged with particular acts of torture and rape.

C a d a p a n a n d E m p e ñ o we r e accompanied by their counsel from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers. The legal team is headed by Edre U. Olalia and includes, among others, two new lawyers from UP, Sandra Jill Santos and Ma. Cristina Yambot. Santos served with Sherlyn in the UP Diliman Student Council, while Yambot entered UP as an undergraduate student at the same

time as Karen.Prior to the fi ling of the complaint,

a rally was held at the entrance to the DOJ offi ce. Showing support for the fi ling of the case were human rights and cause-oriented groups Desaparecidos, Hustisya, Karapatan, UP Kilos Na!, Selda and Tanggol Bayi.

In a press conference after the fi ling, DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima assured the complainants that the department will take the case “very seriously.”

Parents of detained UP alumnus Ericson Acosta are joined by representatives from progressive organizations and some members of the UP faculty.

Alliance of Concerned Samareños (ACOS) and the Kapunungan han Gudti nga Parag-uma ha Weste han Samar (KAPAWA).

In a press conference at the Greenhouse Grill in Quezon City last April 15, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Secretary-General Renato Reyes said that Acosta was arrested after he and Baranggay Dacles Secretary Vicente Dacles chanced upon soldiers who inquired where they could get water in the area. One of the soldiers later searched Acosta’s bag. After fi nding his computer notebook, Acosta was accused of

being a member of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Reyes said that Acosta was subjected to more than 44 hours of rigorous military interrogation before he was brought to the Philippine National Police Municipal Headquarters. Acosta was later charged with possession of explosives after a grenade was allegedly found in his possession.

In his sworn statement to the Offi ce of the Provincial Prosecutor of Calbayog City, Samar, Acosta denied having a grenade at the time of his arrest, saying that “one of the soldiers… took out

from a small bag a grenade and gave it to the soldier who asked for it” when he was being charged at the police headquarters. He also said that aside from being arrested without warrant and evidence, his right to due process was also denied. There was no prosecutor to conduct the inquest proceedings on his case and no stenographer was present. His case was later fi led directly with the Regional Trial Court of Calbayog. As of this writing, Acosta remains detained at the Samar Sub-Provincial Jail in Calbayog City awaiting trial.

Acosta’s father Esias demanded

that the Aquino administration correct the wrongs done by the previous administration, including that of random and baseless arrests and detention. He said that he cannot understand how soldiers would arrest someone who has done nothing but serve the people in a manner which respects human life and dignity.

According to Lumbera, Acosta is a former UP activist who served as an editor of the Philippine Collegian. He was also active with cultural groups like the UP Repertory Company, Dulaang UP and Alay Sining. As a journalist,

he has worked as segment writer for ABS-CBN’s Wanted and TV Patrol. He was a l so ass i s tant entertainment editor of the Manila Times.

Aside from Lumbera, R e y e s a n d A c o s t a ’s contemporaries in UP, and selected UP faculty members have joined the call for Acosta’s release. Among these were former Vice-President for Public Affairs Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo, former Vice-President for Academic Affairs Gemino Abad, UP College of Mass Communica t ion Dean Roland Tolentino and UP Institute of Creative Writing Director Jose Dalisay, Jr.

Photo by M

isael Bacani

Photo by B

ong Arboleda

JUNE 2011 U.P. Newsletter U.P. Newsletter U.P. Newsletter 3

Group decision has been a major problem in Philippine science and education. It is based on the common belief that two heads are better than one. But is this always true? I propose two ways to improve decision-making in academic groups.

Solving problems together, as in democratic governance, has been a common practice in the Philippines. This is true in the University of the Philippines as far back as I can recall, 50 years ago, when I was an instructor in zoology. Today democratic governance is often included in visions of candidates for top positions in the UP system.

The academic situation in UP and the country where democratic governance has been a normal practice, however, has been getting worse rather than better. Data on research performance of UP in the last 30 years have clearly shown this. After two decades of decline, improved research—the most important function

We read Dr. Flor Lacanilao’s article titled “Democratic governance impedes academic reform” published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (03/14/2011) with Philippine Daily Inquirer (03/14/2011) with Philippine Daily Inquirermuch interest. First of all, we would like to commend Dr. Lacanilao for his view that the “most important problems in the world have been solved largely by physical scientists.” If there are any problems at all in the world which have not yet been solved by these physical scientists, such problems would certainly be nothing but the most trivial ones unworthy of even an iota of brain matter of their superior intellects. Despite our awe at the display of erudition on philosophy and human history which such a statement entails, we nevertheless take issue with the gist of of Dr. Lacanilao’s argument in the said article. We propose that his general argument can be taken as follows:a) Working successfully requires that

members are competent on a subject;

b) Joint decisions with different member competencies don’t work;

c) The great majority [of academics] are poorly published in ISI journals,

d) The great majority [of academics] do not have the technical knowledge

“Ang bi langguan ng Batangas Provincial Jail ay isang maliit na bahagi lamang ng mas malaking bilangguan—ang lipunan. Ang masa sa loob at labas ng bilangguan ay iisa, pare-parehong pinagsasamantalahan, parehong inaapi, parehong nililinlang ng bulok na sistema ng hustisya sa bansa, at pare-parehong biktima. Napagtibay ko sa aking sarili na hindi mapipigilan ng pader, rehas, at mga posas ang pagpapatuloy ng sinimulang mapagpalayang paghihimagsik sa labas ng bilangguan... At ito ang magiging dakilang tungkulin na kailangang gampananan sa loob ng bilangguan—ang palayain ang masang bilanggo mula sa kanilang nakakulong na isipan, makitid na mundong ginagalawan at isabay sila sa daluyong ng pablaban para sa mga karapatan ng mamamayan at tunay na hustisya.”

-Maricon Montajes, mula sa isang 18-pahinang sulat mula sa bilangguan

Democratic governance impedes academic reform Flor Lacanilao

In praise of the dictatorship of the highly published

Ramon Guillermo

MakialamKalayaan at konsepto ng piitan

Mai Uichanco

Napaka ta l a s ng mg a sa l i t ang naglalagablab sa galit sa loob ng 18 pahinang sulat ni Maricon. Nagagalit ang mga pahina na paulit-ulit tinahi ang mga salitang pasismo, masa, militar, kahirapan, pambubusabos sa maraming pangungusap. Nakakatuwa ding sa kabila ng galit, tampok pa rin ang mga katagang walang kapagurang pakikibaka, paglilingkod sa masa, pagmumulat sa sambayanan—mga katagang mataas na diwa ng aktibismo sa kabila ng isang taon na ring pagkakapiit sa kulungan, mula sa ilegal na pagkakadakip ng mga elemento ng 743rd Combat Squadron ng Philippine Air Force noong Hunyo 3, 2010.

Higit na nakakatuwa na habang sinusulat ko ito, sa kabila ng pagiging agitated ni Maricon, sumasagi sa aking alaala ang mga unang pagkakataon na

nagkita kami sa Kolehiyo ng Pangmadlang Komunikasyon sa UP Diliman. June 2008 noon at kasagsagan ng enrollment. Abala ako sa pagiging bahagi ng konseho ng mga mag-aaral nang makilala ko si Maricon—suot ang usong-uso na puting Artwork na T-shirt, naka-Chucks na may neon green na sintas, kulay kalawang ang kanyang buhok habang nakikinig sa kanyang iPod. Hindi ako lubusan pang naniwala na tibak (aktibista) siya, dahil na rin sa bihis niyang hindi nagpamalas ng “simpleng pamumuhay.”

Lubusan pa kaming nagkakilala, habang ako ay nasa konseho, siya naman ay miyembro ng organisasyong UP Sining at Lipunan (UP SILIP). Organisasyon itong nakabase sa MassComm, pinapahusay ang sining ng pelikula at pagkuha ng litrato taliwas sa dogma ng “art for art’s sake,”

bagkus, paglilinang ng midya para patuloy na magmulat sa mga estudyante at mga mamamayan hinggil sa mga katotohanang panlipunan.

Takot si Maricon magutom, sa totoo lang, umiiyak siya kapag nagugutom. Maarte siya manamit (sa katunayan, madalas namin siyang pagsabihan kung masyadong “revealing” ang kanyang suot). Kaya noong nagpaalam siya noong May 2009, niyakap ko siya at ng iba pa, hindi lamang sa diwa ng pamamaalam kundi sa diwa ng paghanga na sa mabilis na panahon ay nabuo niya ang kahandaang iwan pansamantala ang matiwasay na buhay para makipamuhay sa mga pesante at linangin ang pelikula kahit ang potograpiya para idokumento ang iba’t ibang mukha ng pagsasamantala, lahat sa isang lugar at sa panahong walang katiyakan.

Tunay ngang walang ipinanganak (Continued on page 10)

of modern universities—was seen only at the start of 2000. And this was largely brought about by cash rewards for publications that meet objective, internationally accepted criteria. As the national university, UP is now aiming to be the first research university in the country.

How can UP prepare to be a research university? Officials at all levels and faculties, system-wide, have yet to improve their track record in research. With a group dominated by poorly published members, the usual democratic governance by group decision will not improve research performance. Chris Frith and coworkers have studied such group behavior; for example, a report, “Optimally Interacting Minds,” appears in Science.

The study shows working together successfully requires that members are competent on a subject. Joint decisions with different member competencies

don’t work. In the UP situation, only a low percentage of officials and faculty members are properly published—in ISI-indexed journals. The great majority are poorly published, or do not have the technical knowledge possessed by the well-published minority. The group decision will be worse than that that would be made by the published members only. This partly explains what happened in the past.

One way to improve group decision in research is for the well-published minority to explain the importance of research to teaching and to human development. Adequate explanation would convince most of the poorly published majority to trust the minority’s judgment.

Since not all published researchers in natural and social sciences fully understand the importance of research to human development, some have to start spending part (e.g., to “tithe” 10

percent) of their professional time and effort to reading and thinking about the benefits of research and S&T.

Such extra effort by our respected scientists, who have been too absorbed in research work, would not only facilitate group decision-making but also enable them to use their expertise when needed in debates on national issues. As it is, debates on science-related issues and education have been dominated by non-scientists and usually without any useful conclusions.

A more effective alternative to democratic governance—to solve the crisis in science and education—is to wield executive-decision power, as done in political and military crises. This needs a strong, visionary leader who is an accomplished scientist. The new chancellor of UP Diliman, the flagship campus of the UP system, is the top Filipino physicist in the country. Most important problems in the world have been solved largely by physical scientists.

If Diliman Chancellor Caesar Saloma is to succeed, where all his predecessors clearly failed, he should assert his competence by stating his views firmly

(Continued on page 11)


possessed by the well-published minority;

e) Any group decision will be worse than that which would be made by the [well] published members only. [Therefore the poorly published individuals should be excluded from the decision-making process.]

First of all, what “subject” is Lacanilao referring to in the fi rst proposition above? Is he referring to his own fi eld of “comparative endocrinology”? Is he referring to the niceties of Popperian philosophy of science, the details of art restoration, or the fi ne points of coral reef preservation? Or is he just saying that the members working together should be “competent” in at least “something” (as long as it is an “academic something”)? Let’s just assume that Lacanilao is saying, in his own very diplomatic way, that the members working together to arrive at decisions within the University should be “competent” in at

least one “academic something.” Then the next question in terms of his argument would be: Is the “objective” measure of “competence” which he proposes, namely, number of ISI publications, a valid and acceptable measure of “competence” for all possible “subjects” or domains of specialization in the University? It should fi rst of all be clarifi ed to the uninitiated that the Institute for Scientifi c Information (ISI), founded in 1960, regularly puts out a list of the “most cited” (and therefore most prestigious) scientifi c journals in the world. ISI’s founder Eugene Garfi eld, was also notorious for once having written that, “International science requires cultural as well as economic imperialism.” Since that time, the ISI listing has been used as a crucial measure to determine international university rankings and faculty ratings and promotions.

There are valid reasons to doubt that the ISI listing could serve as an uncontroversial

and “objective” measure of competence across disciplines. Most of these are already quite well-known among students of journal citation-impact. Some of these are the following: a) The humanities and social sciences give greater value to publications in book form than the disciplines in the natural sciences which give a premium to journal publications; b) The humanities and social sciences domains, not just in the Philippines but internationally, are much more diverse in terms of languages of publication. The vast majority of ISI journals however are English language journals from the USA and UK with very few of these representing such important languages in the humanities and social sciences such as German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese etc.; c) There is unfortunately, but understandably, an observed “Western bias” in the humanities and social sciences journals covered by the ISI which do


Journalism instructor Lourdes “Chit” Estella-Simbulan (August 19, 1957-May 13, 2011) was the subject of a tribute at the UPD College of Mass Communication (CMC) last May 18. Simbulan died in a motor car accident on Commonwealth Avenue last May 13.

Her ashes were brought to the CMC auditorium where colleagues, friends, students, and family gathered to honor her.

Known in the journalism profession as Chit Estella, she died at the age of 53 when the taxi she was in was rammed by a bus as she was on her way to have dinner with friends at the UP Ayala Techno-hub along Commonwealth Avenue. The accident happened at around 6 p.m. last May 13.

In her opening remarks, Journalism Prof. Rachel Khan said that Estella-Simbulan was a good, reliable friend who also served as an inspiration for her accomplishments in journalism.

Journalism Prof. Danilo Arao, who is also UP assistant vice-president for public affairs, read UP President Alfredo Pascual’s statement. Pascual said that Estella-Simbulan’s death is “a great loss to the academe and the field of journalism, where she upheld the highest ethical and professional standards of the profession through teaching, research, extension and

In teaching fi lm, we share the idea of beginning the story in the middle of things, which is what “in medias res” means. This is when, upon the fi lm’s opening, we see in medias res” means. This is when, upon the fi lm’s opening, we see in medias resthe story unfold immediately as it begins with some form of confl ict, immediately engaging the audience and hooking us all within the cinematic world.

Sadly, one Friday the Thirteenth, we saw another kind of in medias res come to in medias res come to in medias resan end. As things for Lourdes “Chit” Estella-Simbulan (August 19, 1957-May 13, 2011) was about to turn in terms of her teaching career, we suddenly fi nd her life reel being cut short, abruptly. She was still in the middle of a lot of things that could have benefi ted our alma mater, the College of Mass Communication (CMC), as a professor about to get her tenure. But the curtains were suddenly drawn up for her, and we were all taken by surprise.

*Ms. Chit and I didn’t initially meet as CMC colleagues, though. It was during

the middle of other things when we fi rst met—a vacancy at the defunct Pinoy Times political tabloid opened up, and a friend recommended me for the position. Like a true cinematic outlining, I was in the middle of a career shift during that time: I concluded my work in a fi lm production company and was freelancing as a lifestyle/entertainment feature writer. It so happened that they needed an entertainment editor, and the Pinoy Times editor-in-chief (EIC) was willing to accept someone like me who Pinoy Times editor-in-chief (EIC) was willing to accept someone like me who Pinoy Timesnever had direct experience working in a newsroom but who had ample experience writing and roaming around local showbiz. Yes, it was Ms. Chit who ran the paper as EIC, and who gave me the trust and confi dence to try out this fi eld.

As I found out then, the people at the political tabloid were also in the middle of many things in their professional lives. They were the ones who left the Manila Times when the paper ran into trouble with former President Joseph Estrada. Ironically, our own “small-but-terrible” political tabloid would also run into some sort of “trouble” with Estrada when our editors decided to raise their stake in the political climate of the early 2000s—Ms. Chit and the rest of the editorial board went ahead with exposing more corruption in that administration. It was very interesting to see them plan stories, do a bit of undercover work to get information, and laugh at or shrug off threats. It felt like being in the middle of a movie, a la All the President’s Men (1976), or something cinematically dramatic like that. My assignment was simple Men (1976), or something cinematically dramatic like that. My assignment was simple Menthen, as Ms. Chit, during one editorial meeting, turned to me and said “Maghanap ka ng mga artista na anti-Erap.” The request was somewhat a Herculean task since Erap was from showbiz and we know that most showbiz people aren’t known primarily for their political courage. But one has to deliver, and they even made one story of mine as front-page material—“Nora Aunor, anti-Erap na rin.” Those were interesting times.

It was an exciting time to be a journalist and I thank Ms. Chit for giving me that chance of witnessing such momentous events unfold—and for giving me the chance to participate in them as well.

*Regardless of where life takes us, sometimes it’s comforting to realize that you

are not the only one who fi nds yourself in the middle of roads, pondering on

UP Los Baños (UPLB) Forest Technician Elpidio Malinao was shot dead in the afternoon of May 9 at the ADKOLORZ Sign Shop in Barangay Maitim, Bay, Laguna. A suspect has been identifi ed by witnesses but is still at large.

UP President Alfredo Pascual went to the wake last May 11 to condole with Malinao’s wife and his fi ve children. He said that the “dastardly act by forces who seem to be mindless of the need to preserve the biodiversity in our environment, has not deterred our people from doing their jobs.” Malinao, he said, “as an inspiration to others in the performance of their task” of protecting the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve.

Malinao was a forestry technician at the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystem (MCME) for the past 25 years. MCME is a component unit of the UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources.

According to sign shop owner Rey Cantosano, he was in the middle of a transaction with Malinao when a man wearing a black jacket, helmet and medical mask, walked up to the victim

CMC honors Lourdes Estella-Simbulan (1957-2011)

In medias res , paalam

Bernice P. Varona

Libay Linsangan Cantor

UPLB forest technician killed, suspect remains at largeKIM Quilinguing

and shot him in the head. The man fl ed using a blue Honda Wave motorcycle with a faded plate number.

According to police reports, Malinao, along with Ben Rada and Atanacio Navarete also of MCME, was supposed to attend a hearing at the Bay Municipal Trial Court. They were scheduled to testify in Criminal Case No. 5173 against Armando Javier and Napoleon Oliveros.

Javier and Oliveros were accused of violating Section 69 (unlawful occupation or destruction of forest lands) of Presidential Decree No. 705 (Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines). The hearing, however, was rescheduled due to the absence of the presiding judge.

In a related development, the victim’s brother, Zacarias Malinao Jr., fi led a murder case in the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against Roberto Canovas. The latter is currently a suspect as he had been identifi ed by a witness as the man who allegedly shot Malinao.

As of press time, Canovas remains at large.

UP CMC faculty, students and staff toast to Chit Simbulan at the end of the tribute. Below: With heads bowed in silence, some UP CMC faculty and Chit’s family members offer a prayer while inside the deceased instructor’s room in the college.

actual practice.” Pascual stressed the need to improve road conditions in the country to prevent other tragic accidents and mishaps, citing several studies done by the UP National Center for Transportation Studies (UP NCTS).

Other speakers during the tribute included CMC Dean Roland Tolentino, Depar tment of Journalism Chair Marichu Lambino and former CMC Dean Georgie Encanto who is also a member of the journalism faculty. They all talked about Estella-Simbulan’s professionalism, high ethical standards and achievements in journalism. For her part, CMC Administrative Offi cer Gina Villegas said that Estella-Simbulan was generous, sincere and humble.

Estella-Simbulan’s former students also recounted how Estella-Simbulan touched their lives. Kristine Felisse Mangunay, an incoming faculty member of the Department of Journalism, talked about how Estella-Simbulan’s v i s ion of produc ing journa l i s t s with high ethical standards who are accountable to the public affected the conduct of the work of journalists. Mae Hernandez , who ser ved as student assistant of the Department of Journalism, mentioned Estella-Simbulan’s patience and willingness to teach. For his part, Eunille Ocampo of the UP Journalism Club (of which Estella-Simbulan served as faculty

adviser) said that she set an example for the students and “walked the talk.” Franz dela Fuente of Tinig ng Plaridel (official student publication of UP CMC) recalled how Estella-Simbulan effectively guided him as he wrote his undergraduate thesis.

Speaking for the family, Gil Estella, Chit’s younger brother, said that his sister was well-loved. He added that it was Estella-Simbulan who influenced him to become a writer. Prof. Roland Simbulan, former UP Faculty Regent

and Este l la-S imbulan’s husband, expressed his gratitude to everyone who paid their last respects. He said that Estella-Simbulan was not just a strong wife but also a “committed partner” in fighting for change in Philippine society.

A toast to Estella-Simbulan’s life concluded the tr ibute. UP CMC faculty, students, staff and alumni then planted trees on CMC grounds in the professor’s honor. The pealing of the UP Carillon bells to the tune of “Bayan Ko” also happened at around noon.


In medias res , paalam

Photos by B

ong Arboleda


Ri c o ch e t , an underg raduate thesis of UP Film Institute student Chad Angelic Cabigon, won the Bronze Award at the 2nd Bangkok International Student Film Festival in Bangkok, Thailand.

The festival was held from May 11 to 20.

Ricochet, a 17-minute short fi lm, Ricochet, a 17-minute short fi lm, Ricochettells the story of a man refl ecting on the unexpected consequences of a murder he commits.

It stars Joem Bascon, Jamieson Tracy Lee and Juan Miguel Severo. Cabigon is both writer and director of the fi lm, with Joenathann Alandy as producer.

Prior to the Bangkok festival, Cabigon’s fi lm was screened at the 2nd West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival. It also won awards for directing and editing (for Cabigon and Jerome Morales) at the 8th Indie Un-Film, Ateneo Video Open 12 and the 7th PWU Art Film Festival.

Ricochet is a production of UP Ricochet is a production of UP RicochetCinema in association with Crimson Light Productions.

The UP College of Medicine was recently awarded a Level IV accreditation by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP).

Level IV is the highest accreditation level. The awarding to the College of Medicine was recommended by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities

Only a few can claim that an asteroid has been named after him or her. Miguel Arnold Reyes, an incoming freshman in UP Diliman, is one of the selected few.

Reyes earned this distinction after winning the 2nd Grand Award in the 2011 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in Los Angeles, California last May 8 to 13, 2011.

Reyes, a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) merit scholar, received $1,500 from the Lincoln Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his research.

His study titled “Synthesis and Charac te r i za t ion of Compos i te Plastics from Thermoplastic Starch

“Excel in your respective professions and make a difference in your own spheres of excellence.”

This was UP President Alfredo Pascual’s message to the UP Open University (UPOU) Class of 2011 at the commencement exercises last May 7 in UP Los Baños, Laguna.

UPOU had 213 graduates this year.

UP graduates, he said, have the special privilege of developing a critical understanding of issues of national

Film Institute thesis wins bronze in Bangkok fi lm fest

UP College of Medicine awarded Level IV accreditation

Asteroid named after incoming UPD freshmanBernice P. Varona

and Nano-sized Calcium Phosphate for Film Packaging” aims to produce biodegradable plastic for fi lm packaging. This kind of plastic is formed from a composite of thermoplastics such as cornstarch and nano-sized phosphate particles.

Reyes joins a few other Filipinos who have had asteroids named after them, namely Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) administrator Roman Kintanar, Edwin Aguirre, Imelda Joson, Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Western Visayas campus director Josette Biyo, Allan Noriel Estrella, Jeric Valles Macalintal, Prem Vilas Fortran Rara and Fr. Victor Badillo.

Another Filipino won the 4th Grand Award and $500 for her research. Angeli Joyce Dy from Capiz National High School won with her study on milkfi sh (Chanos chanos Forsskal) serum as an Chanos chanos Forsskal) serum as an Chanos chanos Forsskalalternative media supplement to the expensive fetal bovine serum (FBS). The latter is used to culture lung and colon cancer cells, and the milkfi sh serum can be a potential replacement for this.

The ISEF is an annual science competition organized by the Society for Science and the Public. This competition provides a venue for high school students worldwide to showcase their research.

Reyes just graduated from PSHS and will pursue a computer engineering course at UPD.

Pascual urges UPOU grads to excelAnna Cañas and Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo

concern and of “taking an active part in national efforts to address these challenges.” Pascual said that their education at UPOU should helped them develop “self-initiative, discipline, and fl exibility traits” because of its unique and non-traditional learning system.

This system, Pascual stressed, also allowed them to be exposed to and be more adept at employing online technologies. He advised them to use these tools of networking and collaboration to contribute to the

solution of problems in their local communities and encouraged them to accomplish even greater things in the service of the people.

In her valedictory address, France Guillan P. Bandigan who earned a Diploma in Environment and Natural Resources Management described studying at UPOU as effective, albeit unconventional. She appreciated that professors and students had “limitless space to share opinions, discuss ideas, ask questions and provide answers.”

(PAASCU). It is the fi rst college of medicine in the

Philippines to receive this accreditation level.

According to the PAASCU Primer, Level IV accreditation is awarded to “accredited programs which are highly respected as very high quality academic programs in the Philippines and with

prestige and authority comparable to similar programs in excellent foreign universities.”

Established in 1977, FAAP is authorized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to certify the accreditation status awarded by different accrediting agencies such as PAASCU to higher education institutions.

meanwhile, is challenged by the result and will work harder to improve the ranking, whi le a t the same t ime checking on the data used in the survey.

In a related development, Kabataan Par ty l i s t Rep. Raymond ‘Mong ’ Palatino last May 24 said that the QS results underscore government’s neglect of tertiary education. “It is worth noting that majority of the top Asian schools, including the leading Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, are State universities substantially funded and supported by their respective governments. This appreciation for tertiary education starkly contrasts with the education policies of the Aquino administration. In our country, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) are neglected to utter destitution.”

According to Palatino, the Aquino administration’s higher education thr ust cons is ts of “ increas ing ly pressur[ing SUCs] to function as private schools.” SUCs therefore are made to anticipate less subsidy and are pressured to find other means of raising funds, including the option to raise tuition.

Pa la t ino re jec ted the Aquino government’s justification of focusing on basic education in leaving SUCs to their own devices. He described this view as “very limited.”

UP tops PHL universities in QS rankings despite non-participation(Continued from page 1)

intersections, thinking of what course to follow next.

Like all good things in media, things come to an end. In the case of Pinoy Times, it was in December 2001. But an ending doesn’t necessarily mean a strict conclusion. And thus, it was in 2005 when Ms. Chit and I exchanged hellos again, this time as colleagues, at CMC. We were both newly hired as fulltime faculty—I joined the UP Film Institute and she joined the Department of Journalism. We were both pleasantly surprised to see each other there. Before entering CMC, I lost touch with all Pinoy Times people already, and so I guessed that being in the academe was another instance where Ms. Chit and I would be in the middle of several things in our respective lives.

Once in a while, we would run into each other in the CMC hallways or on the street sidewalks. During such encounters, she never failed to say a genuine “Hi!” and to sincerely ask how things are going with me. Sometimes, we fi nd ourselves chatting hurriedly about updates and thoughts on school matters

during such encounters, as we made our way to our classes.

There was this one par t icular encounter that stuck to me as we exchanged thoughts and opinions about teaching. When I alighted from a UP-Katipunan jeep, I saw Ms. Chit on the sidewalk walking toward the college entrance. We ended up talking about teaching and how to balance things. Being media practitioners who have seen the ins and outs of how media work outside the academe, she pondered on a thought that also echoed my sentiments during that time. “Minsan iniisip ko, paano ko ba ituturo sa mga bata ang buhay sa media ko ba ituturo sa mga bata ang buhay sa media ko ba ituturo sa mga bata ang buhay sawithout being cynical?”

That hit the nail on the head for me. During that time—maybe one or two years into my teaching life—I was also burdened with how best to inform students of the “real reel ills” of life in Philippine cinema without dousing their hopes of being part of it. I’m sure journalists also have their fair share of such ills.

But hearing from her former students, I suppose the best lesson they learned from her is to just keep it real. After all, that

was what I learned from working with her at Pinoy Times, and that was how her Pinoy Times, and that was how her Pinoy Timesstudents were practicing their skills when they graduated. In an industry that is also haunted by corruption and unethical practices, being real means not giving in to dubious workings and not succumbing to illicit pressures. Get the story out there, as the people need to know it, but do it properly without overstepping boundaries. It’s a lesson well learned.

*When I learned of her untimely

departure from this planet, I felt aggravated that someone was snatched so early from us, just as she was in the middle of more exciting things to come. She could offer more, and contribute more. But I guess the universe works in a strange way sometimes, and we just have to accept some things as they come. Sans resistance.

Still, this doesn’t mean forgetting. I know her family, friends, colleagues and students won’t forget Ms. Chit and her contributions to their professional and personal lives. I know I won’t.

Paalam, Ms. Chit. At salamat.

In medias res , paalamIn medias res , paalam (Continued from page 4)


UP students interested in applying for UP’s Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) should keep the date June 30 in mind. This is the deadline for the submission of STFAP applications for the 4th batch, for the fi rst semester of Academic Year (AY) 2011-2012.

Students may apply either online, or in person by getting a printed application form (UP STFAP Form AB-1) from the offi ce of student affairs or scholarships of their UP campus.

Applying online through STFAP Online (http://stfap.up.edu.ph/stfaponline/) is strongly encouraged. The student uses his or her Student Number and PIN given in the Notice of Admission to access STFAP Online. The student or parent/legal guardian then provides the information required in the online application. The student or parent/legal guardian prints the fi lled-out application. Both parent/guardian and the student signs it. The student or parent/legal guardian has the form notarized and personally submits the printed, signed and notarized form with supporting documents to the offi ce of student affairs or scholarships of the campus. Alternatively, the student or parent/legal guardian can mail the form, with supporting documents, to the offi ce of scholarships of the campus where the student has been admitted. (If the student decides to apply personally, printed application forms are available at the offi ce of student affairs or scholarships of the campus for P5.00 each.)

The campus offi ce of student affairs or

Having served in the administration of the UPCAT for half a decade, I have some tips for examinees that should make their UPCAT experience a little less stressful (and hopefully more memorable).

1. Write the information needed on your test permit. The permit is computer-generated and therefore does not have your signature. Sometimes, it does not even include your date of birth. As soon as you get your test permit, go over it and see if there is any missing information. This will save you time from having to fi ll it out once you are in the testing hall.

2. Check if part of the dry seal on your test permit is stamped on your photo—because it should be. This is something that we check before letting you inside the testing room. Reporting it to the Offi ce of Admissions before the actual testing date will save you the fear of thinking the worst when we see the irregularity. Believe me, you are nervous enough as it is without having the proctor or examiner point out that there’s something not quite right with your test permit.

3. Know your testing hall in advance. A visit to the test center a week before the test will enable you to get there easier on the day itself. We have seen so many examinees waste their time looking for their testing halls that they end up late for the test.

4. Be early. It may seem like a very hard thing to do, especially on a weekend. But being early beats panic and anxiety just before an exam. If it is any consolation, all UP employees who serve in the administration of the UPCAT have to be at the test center before you.

5. Bring good quality pencils—not too light but not too dark. No part of the test

Applying for STFAPCeleste Ann Castillo Llaneta

12 tips from an UPCAT examinerArlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo

Buhay UPHindi na kakaibang makita si Dennis Magtajas tuwing hapon sa kampus ng UP Diliman kung saan mas kilala siya ng mga estudyante, guro at mga empleyado bilang si “Zorro.”

What you need to know about the UPCATArlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo

What is the fi rst challenge for high school students who dream of going to UP? What do they need to “conquer” one weekend during rainy August? The answer should be obvious: The UP College Admission Test (UPCAT).

As with any challenge, preparations must be made by the “conqueror.” In the case of UPCAT, it means fi lling out the application forms from the UP Offi ce of Admissions fi rst. UPCAT Form 1 is for the student or his or her guardian and UPCAT Form 2 is for his or her high school. In the fi rst form, it is important to note that it asks for two UP campus choices and two intended courses for each. The processing of this application will be based on the applicant’s order of preference. The second form is exclusively for the

school to fi ll out.Following the directions in the

application forms, the UP aspirant must then pay the application fee. After paying, he or she should submit the following: proof of payment; application forms; four identical 2”x2” photos; a certifi ed and signed legible photocopy of the permanent secondary school record from schools other than the present (if the applicant transferred from another high school) or the same document from the present school if the applicant needed more than four years to fi nish secondary education; and a self-addressed stamped envelope if the test permit is to be mailed to the applicant through his or her school.

The deadline for fi ling application forms at the Offi ce of Admissions is on

will ever require you to use any other kind of writing instrument. Pencils will do.6. Do not bring scratch paper for your computations. We will provide this for you. The scratch paper we issue

is the only paper you must use.7. Do not forget to submit documents required of you. The Offi ce of Admissions marks these as defi ciencies

on your test permit. Keep these documents ready and when we ask, do submit them.8. Turn off your cell phone or put it on silent mode with the vibration function turned off. This should be

self-explanatory. In the same way that you want to watch a movie at the cinema without distractions, so should your focus be undisturbed during an exam. If you forget or refuse to do this and you get a message or a call, you not only disturb your fellow examinees. You also get dagger looks from them.

9. Bring a snack. You are allowed to eat at any time during the exam because there are no breaks. But please bring something that does not bother your fellow examinees—something that is not noisy to unwrap or eat and something that is not too odorous—or else, you get dagger looks again.

10. Try to be calm and focus on the task at hand. We have seen nerves get the better of examinees. Sweaty palms that soil answer sheets, frequent trips to the bathroom, fainting, vomiting, etc. Try not to let anxiety rule you on exam day.

11. Do not ask the proctor or examiner about certain items on the test booklet. We are not allowed to read the contents of the test booklet. You can only ask clarifi catory questions about the instructions. You can inform us of irregularities in the numbering of items or pages, if some are missing or duplicated. But we will not entertain questions about the test items themselves.

12. Finally, do not even attempt to cheat. In fact, do not even think about trying to cheat, unless you want to say goodbye to the UPCAT and your chance to study in UP.

Please keep these tips in mind, and good luck.

scholarships receives the submitted form, checks it for completeness, and returns incomplete or improperly fi lled-out forms to the student/parent/legal guardian with instructions. The application forms are then sent in batches to the UP System STFAP Processing Group which forwards them to the UP Computer Center for encoding and verifi cation. The data set is fed to the program verifi cation. The data set is fed to the program verifi cation. The data set is fed to the program that will perform the bracketing of STFAP that will perform the bracketing of STFAP that will perform the bracketing of STFAP applicants based on the data they submitted. applicants based on the data they submitted. applicants based on the data they submitted. Bracket results are made available on the Bracket results are made available on the Bracket results are made available on the STFAP website and on the websites of the STFAP website and on the websites of the STFAP website and on the websites of the offi ces of student affairs or scholarships offi ces of student affairs or scholarships offi ces of student affairs or scholarships for each campus. The bracket results can for each campus. The bracket results can for each campus. The bracket results can be printed and used by the applicants in the be printed and used by the applicants in the be printed and used by the applicants in the assessment of fees. Incoming freshmen can assessment of fees. Incoming freshmen can assessment of fees. Incoming freshmen can also use their assigned STFAP bracket for the also use their assigned STFAP bracket for the also use their assigned STFAP bracket for the assessment and payment of fees during the assessment and payment of fees during the assessment and payment of fees during the advance registration for freshmen. advance registration for freshmen. advance registration for freshmen.

Students who file late applications Students who file late applications Students who file late applications will be temporarily assigned to Bracket will be temporarily assigned to Bracket will be temporarily assigned to Bracket B, pending the assignment and release of B, pending the assignment and release of B, pending the assignment and release of their proper brackets. The deadline for late their proper brackets. The deadline for late their proper brackets. The deadline for late submissions for the fi rst semester is on June submissions for the fi rst semester is on June submissions for the fi rst semester is on June 30. STFAP bracket assignments resulting 30. STFAP bracket assignments resulting 30. STFAP bracket assignments resulting from applications received after June 30 will from applications received after June 30 will from applications received after June 30 will be effective in the 2nd semester. be effective in the 2nd semester. be effective in the 2nd semester.

According to STFAP Online, brackets According to STFAP Online, brackets According to STFAP Online, brackets are assigned based on the information are assigned based on the information are assigned based on the information provided by the applicants on declared family provided by the applicants on declared family provided by the applicants on declared family income and other family characteristics and income and other family characteristics and income and other family characteristics and socio-economic indicators. The Alphabetic socio-economic indicators. The Alphabetic socio-economic indicators. The Alphabetic Bracketing Scheme of the Restructured Bracketing Scheme of the Restructured Bracketing Scheme of the Restructured STFAP uses a predictive income function STFAP uses a predictive income function STFAP uses a predictive income function based on the Family Income and Expenditures based on the Family Income and Expenditures based on the Family Income and Expenditures

Sur vey and Labor Force Survey which are collected and released by the National Statistics Offi ce. The fi nal bracket assignment considers the bracket requested by the applicant, the reported family income, the

and laboratory fees• Bracket D (Annual family income of

P80,001-P135,000): 70% discount on base tuition fee, full miscellaneous and laboratory fees

• Bracket E (Annual family income of up to P80,000): free tuition, miscellaneous, and laboratory fees plus standard stipend

The standard stipend is currently P12,000 per semester.

The UP STFAP, also known as the Iskolar ng Bayan Program, was fi rst implemented during the fi rst semester of AY 1989-1990 as a major reform designed to democratize undergraduate student admission, particularly for low-income or disadvantaged but deserving UP students. Over the years, the increases in tuition and miscellaneous fees due to infl ation required adjustments in the benefi ts of the STFAP. The Restructured STFAP with its new Alphabetic Bracketing Scheme was approved by the UP Board of Regents in December 2006 and implemented in the fi rst semester of AY 2007-2008.

The STFAP program is divided into four basic components:

predicted income using the income function, other indicators, and other adjustments.

Students who do not apply for STFAP benefi ts will be assigned to Bracket A or B, depending on the gross family income that they declared when they confi rmed their intention to enroll in UP. Appeals for re-bracketing will be accepted by the offi ce of scholarships for each campus. The campus committee will decide on the merits of each appeal based on policies set by the UP System committee on scholarships and fi nancial assistance.

The brackets are primarily based on the annual family income and have corresponding fees or benefi ts:

• Bracket A (Annual family income of more than P1,000,000): full-cost tuition fee, full miscellaneous and laboratory fees

• Bracket B (Annual family income of P500,001-P1,000,000): base tuition fee, full miscellaneous and laboratory fees

• Bracket C (Annual family income of P135,001-P500,000): 40% discount on base tuition fee, full miscellaneous


Photo by M

isael Bacani


UP admits freshmen applicants on the basis of their predicted grade in UP.The university predicted grade (UPG) is exactly that: a prediction of the applicant’s

likelihood of success in academic work, or completing a degree program in UP.Regression analyses of student performance have been conducted to make sure that the

formula for the UPG—a combination of the applicant’s high school weighted average and UPCAT scores—is reliable.

Being admitted into UP is very competitive, and only those who have the highest grades are considered. The prestige attached to being a UP student helps explains why more than 60,000 high school graduates apply to take the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) every year. In turn, UP students are regarded as the cream of the crop because only a few UPCAT applicants are admitted.

Last year, there were more than 65,000 UPCAT applicants. However, the qualifying rate system-wide is only around 17 percent.

It must be stressed, however, that UP students can also be regarded as the best of the best from all walks of life and parts of the Philippines. Socio-economic and geographical considerations come into play in the admission of students. This has to be done to level the playing fi eld, so to speak. It operates on the assumption that the rich have an advantage over their counterparts from lower economic groups.

Aside from helping empower the marginalized in society through UP education, equity considerations ensure the heterogeneity of the student population and helps create a richer university learning environment. They also ensure that state funds are not used solely for the rich.

Leveling the playing fi eld entails standardizing high school grades due to the varied grading systems in schools. The UPGs of students from public high schools classifi ed as disadvantaged

When one talks about UP Diliman (UPD), it is not only scholarly activities or academics that fi gure in the stories. There is another side to the so-called UP Diliman experience. To fully know this other side, one needs to literally go around the 500-hectare campus.

Gastronomic adventuresThe UPD campus has a lot to offer to

the gastronomically adventurous, from local street fare to the more expensive culinary experience in medium priced venues.

If you are after student-friendly, lutong bahay kind of food, you have several options. The most popular and one of the oldest restaurants on campus is Rodics, inside the UP Shopping Center (SC). Here, one can order tapsilog (shredded deep-fried beef tapa on top of a mound of rice with fried egg) for around P65, served, believe it or not, even beyond breakfast. Rodics also serves other dishes, so one need not be limited to the -silogs menu.

UP Diliman as dining, recreation havenBernice P. Varona

Making the grade at UPJo. Florendo B. Lontoc

Buhay UPHindi na kakaibang makita si Dennis Magtajas tuwing hapon sa kampus ng UP Diliman kung saan mas kilala siya ng mga estudyante, guro at mga empleyado bilang si “Zorro.”

What you need to know about the UPCAT

June 17 for Metro Manila-based schools and June 24 for schools outside Metro Manila. If an application is fi led beyond the deadline, late fees are applied.

When everything has been submitted, ask the Offi ce of Admissions when the test permit will be released. Once the test permit is given to the applicant, all he or she has to do is wait until the scheduled testing date and session. The Office of Admissions warns applicants and parents that “UP has not authorized and will not authorize any individual, group or entity, public or private, to conduct UPCAT review sessions.”

The UPCAT is held every first weekend of August in 75 test centers across 16 regions in the country. There are two sessions per day: morning and

afternoon. Those who are given the morning schedule have to be at their designated test centers by 6:30 a.m., while those who have the afternoon session have to arrive at 12:30 p.m.

The test is bi l ingual—English and F i l i p i no—and cons i s t s o f four parts: Language Proficiency, Science, Mathematics, and Reading Comprehension.

H ow a r e s c o r e s c o m p u t e d ? According to the Office of Admissions, “standardized scores on these subtests are combined with the weighted average of final grades in the first three years of high school to determine qualification into UP” and that “socio-economic and geographic considerations are factored in the selection of campus qualifiers.”

and members of cultural minority groups are given a 0.05 “palugit” (loose translation: allowance). Applicants who later appeal to a constituent university (CU) not included in their choices and from a region outside the remote CU’s catchment or target area (such as Mindanao for UP Mindanao) are given a 0.05 “pabigat” (loose translation: additional points).

The giving of “palugit” may not sit well with those who think the university is compromising excellence for equity considerations. However, the stiff competition among applicants ensures that even with the “palugit,” all qualifi ed applicants belong to the cream of the crop. This is because the competition compels the CU to set high cut-off grades.

For example, at a CU, those who belong to the top 70 percent of its quota may qualify with a UPG (“palugit” included) of at least 2.31. Thus an actual “cut-off rate” of 2.31 is set. UP Manila applications and the very limited number of applicants it can accept result in the highest “cut-off rate” among CUs. In UP Los Baños, the absolute cut-off is around 2.80.

Having set relatively high “cut-off rates,” a CU is compelled to accept applicants only if they do not fall below the absolute cut-off rate. In UP Manila, for example, it is 2.5. A CU’s fi lling up of the remaining 30 percent of its quota—called as the geographic equity round—does not disregard such standard. The geographic equity round consists of choosing applicants coming from provinces, town or city still underrepresented in the percentage of qualifi ed UP applicants.

Data from the Department of Education is used to determine whether or not areas are underrepresented based on the population of senior high school students of the country. Applicants from these areas must not have grades below 2.5 if they are to qualify for UP Manila. If there are still slots available after the geographic equity round, they will be given to other applicants with the highest grades regardless of where they came from.

But competition can sometimes be so stiff that, for example in UP Manila, their slots are fi lled even with grades way above their traditional cut-off of 2.5.

Having been accepted into a UP campus, the student may now be screened for particular programs which have different admissions processes or equations of their own. The college is also the one to screen transferees from other schools who may have passed or not passed the UPCAT, but must have achieved an average of 2.0 in their college subjects.

The UP admissions process is not uniform system-wise. UP Diliman is implementing a modifi cation in which the so-called UP Admission Index, instead of the UPG, is used as approved by the University Council for 2006 to screen applicants. It still uses a “palugit” similar to the 0.05 used in UPGs. It also employs screening passes, such as the excellence and equity rounds. The modifi cation is in line with the constant fi ne-turning of admissions process, which may be implemented system-wide later on if it proves more successful as a predictor of performance. UPGs of applicants to UPD are still computed for consideration in their application to other CUs.

According to Admissions Director Gerald Pio Franco, the system-wide admissions processes ensure that UP qualifi ers represent the best from all parts of the country and from all walks of life. However, the actual socio-economic/geographic breakdown of the UP student population may not refl ect such heterogeneity.

Despite the excellence-equity assurances of the admissions process, it cannot assure that all these qualifi ers will enroll. Franco said that the no-show rate of applicants from the provinces is quite high and the general no-show rate is around 35 percent.

Thus, the university must ensure that all qualifi ers, especially those from marginalized sectors of society, feel that UP is still the university for them.

You can also fi nd Korean food among the stalls in the SC, as well as others which offer Filipino food, fruit shakes, donuts and much more. There is also the UP Cooperative’s “Coop” canteen, which has relatively cheaper prices for kare-kare and fried chicken, among other local food. You can also fi nd street-fare like green mangoes with bagoong on a stick located at the side entrance of the SC, as well as others like monay with cheese and corn in a cup with cheese and butter fl avorings, among others.

Another contender for Filipino food favorites includes Lutong Bahay, which is a few houses away from the street where the Diliman branch of PhilPost is located. It offers Pinoy meals like bopis, sisig, adobo and more for around P60 or less. One eats in a homey atmosphere since the food is served inside the owner’s home. During summer, Lutong Bahay also serves halo-halo and one can also buy bilaos of pancit for merienda or pasalubong.

Other places to get relatively low-priced

meals include CASAA, between the Palma Hall building (more commonly known as AS building) and the Palma Hall Annex (or PHAN). At the CASAA, one can choose among different stalls featuring all kinds of food such as Mongolian stir-fry and roast beef, as well as the usual Pinoy fares like humba, sinigang, and inihaw. Another UPD “classic” is the barbeque at Beach House, which is located within the Main Library premises fronting the Sunken Garden. Lines usually form as early as 11:30 a.m. for those who want to get their pork barbeque fi x.

For those looking for Persian or Indian food, there is also Khas Food House which is beside the UP Swimming Pool and located near the International Center dormitory. Here you can get ox brains, kebabs, and pita sandwiches with your yogurt shakes and tea.

Vegetarians can opt to go to Likha Diwa, located along CP Garcia near the outskirts of the campus. For other commercial restaurants and fast food establishments,

Philcoa and the UP Ayala Technohub are just a few minutes away.

The more pricey restaurants that are perfect for meetings or dates include Chocolate Kiss Cafe at the Bahay ng Alumni which is famous for its Devil’s Food Cake, Kahlua Butter Cake and the classic Chocolate Cake. It also serves dishes such as Chicken ala Kiev, Beef Salpicao and Kalbi Chim. There are actually two establishments of Chocolate Kiss on different fl oors of Bahay ng Alumni which are open at different times of the day.

Another restaurant in the Bahay ng Alumni is the Restaurant of Choice or “ROC’s” Cafe and Restaurant. It serves Whiskey Glazed Pork Chops, Garlic Chicken, different pizzas, pastas and desserts like Banoffee pie.

Another newcomer in UPD is Via Mare Cafe at the GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium. It serves oysters (if available) and Pinoy dishes like chicken tinola fl an,



“Let us safeguard the taxpayer’s money.”

This was the message of UP President Alfredo Pascual during the UP System Coordination Workshop for Administration, Budget and Human Resources Personnel at the School of Labor and Industrial Relations auditorium in UP Diliman last May 14.

Speaking before an audience composed of offi cials and staff of the administration, budget and human resources offi ces of UP’s constituent universities, Pascual said that UP’s resources can be spent effi ciently.

He said that while UPD pays around P8 million for water every month, in some of the buildings on campus the water pressure is not even strong enough for the water to reach the fi fth, fourth or even third fl oors.

He compared this to the P2 million spent monthly by the Ateneo de Manila University which has roughly half the student population of UPD. He proposed a maintenance check of all UP campuses’

“To become a future leader, it is but necessary that one has to understand the complexities brought about by the unending problems in one’s community by going down to the community level.”

Tasnim M. Bagul, a graduate of the 11th Congressional Internship Program for Young Mindanao Leaders (CIPYML) Academic Course on Public Policy Development and Advocacy, stressed this point as she noted the importance of keen attention to one’s roots while being mindful of the bigger picture. This year’s CIPYML held its completion ceremony last May 5 at the House of Representatives (HOR) in

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by UP Mindanao, Japan’s Hiroshima University, and South-South Network for Non-State Armed Group Engagement (SSN) to establish a tripartite partnership in Davao City.

The partnership allows researchers from Hiroshima University to cooperate with local research organizations to seek out and establish peace-building studies.

A team of UP Mindanao students won the Visioning Contest for Sustainable Urban Transport for Davao City last May 4.

The UP Davao STEPP Team is composed of BS Architecture (BSA) students April Gabayan, Mykel Edrian Barcena, Rochelle Rhema Caballo, Murielle June Yucamco and Arturo Ravelo III.

Another team of BSA students was a fi nalist in the contest. Team ECOH-TRANS DAVAO consists of Jessamine Kuh Fortuna and Kimberly Bonghanoy.

The winning entry reads, “The main vision of our team (STEPP) is to create a HIERARCHICAL APPROACH to the overall transportation system of Davao City. First level comprises walkable spaces and bicycle lanes; the second level suggests district-wide routed jeepneys; while the third and larger level includes Bus Rapid Transportation (BRT) System as the mass transportation system. These 3 levels of course could not work independently without the help of the fellow Dabawenyos, so this Program also proposes for stronger policy and values from the commuters. Because we owe it to ourselves to give this world, the future generation, and humanity as a whole a shot at a better, healthier and greener path towards life, and you would be surprised that all it really takes, is a single STEP.”

The contest was organized by the Sustainable Urban Transport for Davao City (SUTRAD), a project funded by the Asian Development Bank in cooperation with the City Government of Davao and the Department of Transportation and Communications.

Pascual calls for prudence in spendingFrancis Paolo Quina

Selected Mindanao youth complete internship at HOR Andre Encarnacion

UP Mindanao, Hiroshima University to conduct studies on peace-buildingRene Estremera

UPMin students win Davao Urban Transport Vision contest Rene Estremera

water system which could reveal leaks that are literally draining away money from the university’s coffers.

He said that similar checks on all UP campuses’ electric infrastructure and telephone systems might plug the holes in UP’s spending.

Pascual said that new technology could be used to cut the university’s spending. He raised the possibility of using close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to ensure campus security instead of relying on a large pool of security personnel. He said that the university can even save money just by switching from fl uorescent lights to LED.

Pascual also discussed the ratio of administrative personnel to academic personnel in the university. Citing fi gures from former UP President Emerlinda Roman’s end-of-term report, Pascual said that the ratio between faculty and staff positions is at 1:1.333, meaning that for every faculty member in UP there are about 1.333 staff members.

Citing his experience in other higher learning institutions as a benchmark,

Pascual said that there is a possibility that UP might be overstaffed. He said that with a keen process of job evaluation, UP might identify redundancies in the staff and personnel, and eventually lower the ratio from 1:1 or even lower in the next few years.

The coordination workshop was

organized by the UP Offi ce of the Vice-President for Administration (OVPA). VP for Administation Maragtas Amante, VP for Planning and Finance Lisa Grace Bersales and UP System Human Resources and Development Office (HRDO) Director Angela Escoto were the discussants during the workshop.

Batasan Hills, Quezon CityThe intensive 15-day course on public

policy development began in 2002, the brainchild of then House Speaker Jose de Venecia and endorsed by then US Ambassador to the Philippines Francis Ricciardone, Jr.

The program aims to make young leaders from Mindanao develop their understanding of policy issues and government processes, with a commitment to strengthening democratic institutions in the region.

An important component of the CIPYML is the hands-on training on legislation and policy formation through an

internship at the House of Representatives (HOR). Participants are assigned to different House committees and offi ces where they participated in policy research, development, monitoring, constituency relations and offi ce management.

Twenty-nine Mindanao-based youth participated in the recent CIPYML.

In his message to the participants, US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas said that they represent the future of the nation and of the world. He said that the recent fall of Osama bin Laden shows that we all live at “a time when great and inspired people across the world are rejecting extremism and embarking on a pathway of peace”. He also noted the longevity of the program which he says helps make “concrete contributions to strengthening awareness of, and respect for, democratic procedures.”

In his speech, valedictorian Cedrick Cabales Mastura detailed the dreams of batch to make a positive difference in the lives “of people in Mindanao and ultimately the Philippines as a whole”. He also challenged his fellow interns to throw away outdated perspectives and to organize in order to solve the problems of their respective communities.

The program is conducted by the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) in partnership with the Administrative Department of the House of Representatives and Mindanao State University (MSU). It funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Growth in Equity in Mindanao Program 2 and 3 (GEM 2 and GEM 3).

A graduate from the 11th CIPYML batch poses with Dr. Ramon Ricardo A. Roque, Atty. Elma G. Salmani, NCPAG Dean Edna Estifania A. Co and VP for Public Affairs J. Prospero E. de Vera III.

Present during the signing were UP Mindanao Academic Affairs OIC Nilo Oponda, UP Mindanao Chancellor Gilda Rivero, Hiroshima University Prof. Yoshida Osamu, SSN Secretary-General Alfredo Lubang and UP Diliman Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer.

The MOU will be forwarded to the UP Board of Regents for ratifi cation.

The Hiroshima University Partnership

Project for Peace-building and Capacity Development (HiPeC) is committed to research as a tool to establish the partnership between the practice of peace-building and capacity development of people in confl ict areas, and that of education and research.

SSN, on the other hand, is an international NGO network that supports efforts to constructively engage non-state armed groups in the areas of human rights, international

humanitarian law, conflict-resolution, peace-building, human security, human development and democratization.

UP Mindanao‘s Mindanao Studies Program has ongoing and planned research projects that may be conducted in partnership with HiPeC in the fi elds of anthropology, architecture, communication arts, English and creative writing, sports and recreation.

President Pascual addresses selected offi cials and staff from various UP CUs.

Photo by B

ong Arboleda

Photo courtesy of U

P-N

CPA

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“A disaster comes when we least expect it,” Offi ce of Civil Defense Quezon City Regional Director Susanna Cruz said at the Kahandaan at Kaligtasan sa Kalamidad: One day Basic Disaster Preparedness Training Workshop held last April 27 at the CSSP Multimedia Room in Palma Hall, UP Diliman.

According to Cruz, every community, regardless of its size and location, needs to adopt a disaster response scheme. She said that it is also important that the community assess its vulnerabilities and define the disaster response scheme around those vulnerabilities.

Under the newly-constituted National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, disaster and risk reduction management councils have been established from the regional level down to the barangay level. These groups, along with the Offi ce of Civil Defense and disaster relief volunteer organizations, Cruz said, have undergone training and rescue plans in anticipation of both human-made and natural disasters.

Aside from the preparing against fl oods, landslides and storms, Cruz said that the OCD has been involved in the anticipated earthquake that experts say will split Metro Manila into four different isolated zones. The Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS) anticipates the destruction of 169,000 homes, damage to 340,000 others; the collapse of seven bridges connecting the different areas of the National Capital Region (NCR); and the death of at least 34,000 people, with 114,000 others injured.

In an attempt to promote public awareness and hopefully reduce the anticipated casualty rate of the earthquake, Cruz said that the OCD has been conducting training in several government agencies, schools, communities and even private business establishments. The training co-hosted with the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP) is one which they hope would promote awareness in the

“It is really interesting how something so unknown would become something so important.”

These were the words of UP Law Prof. Jay Batongbacal on the country’s baselines and national territory at the forum titled “Defi ning the Baselines of the Philippines: Issues and Challenges” last May 13 at the Bulwagang

CSSP, OCD conduct disaster preparedness training in UPDKIM Quilinguing

PHL needs to define its baselines – UP Law profKIM Quilinguing

UP Diliman community.Citing awareness as an important tool in

disaster preparedness, Engr. Erlington Olivare of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said that the MMEIRS is an important tool in preparing for disasters in Metro Manila.

Olivare said that anticipation of a big earthquake is justifi ed. The West Valley Fault in Marikina has never had a big earthquake since the 1700s. Considering this length of time, it is highly possible that the next quake in the valley system will be stronger than the usual tremors felt in the NCR. On the average, the Philippines experiences 20 earthquakes a day since it sits on the collision point between the Philippine plate and the Eurasian plate.

Aside from earthquakes, Olivare said that the communities should also prepare for other disasters which could result from heavy rainfall. Since the country on the average is hit by 20 tropical storms annually, he said that it would be important to consider both earthquakes and heavy rains as potential sources of disaster, destruction and death.

In anticipation of earthquakes, landslides and floods, Engr. Allan Benitez of the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines said it would be important to follow the laws governing the building of structures, particularly homes, to ensure the people’s survival in strong earthquakes and storms.

For her part, Michelle Ruiz of the Offi ce of Civil Defense (OCD) said that offi ces should designate a group of people who will undergo specialized training in disaster risk reduction and management. These people will schedule regular drills and training to enable other offi cemates with the necessary skills to survive a disaster.

In the formulation of training programs, Cruz said that it is important to consider “the greatest thing for the greatest number” or prioritize evacuation plans and schemes which would ensure the survival of a

Above: Engr. Allan Benitez of the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines giving a talk about structural risks. Below: UP faculty and staff practicing the “duck, hold, and cover.”

bigger portion of the community. It is also important for the community to be prepared to understand risks and possible costs of disasters, even if there is a suitable and proven disaster preparedness plan.

The one-day training workshop was organized by the CSSP’s Staff Committee

for Welfare and Development and the OCD-NCR. According to Associate Dean for Administration, Student Affairs and Extension Neil Martial Santillan, the college “deemed it proper and timely to hold the training given the prospect of a natural calamity in the near future.”

Clock-wise from top-left: Director Henry Bensurto of the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs Secretariat of the Department of Foreign Affairs; UP Law Prof. Jay Batongbacal; Prof. Clarita Carlos, moderating the forum;UP Center for International Law Executive Director Romel Bagares

Rizal in UP Diliman.Territory is an essential element of the state

and without properly defi ning its baselines it would be diffi cult to have the necessary programs and policies which would govern the land, air and seas of the country. The problem, he said, is that the defi nitions of the country’s baselines have varied through the years.

Batongbacal said that the Treaty of Paris of 1898 between Spain and the United States did not include the Batanes Group of Islands due to a typographical error in the coordinates of the country’s boundaries. The Americans, he said, extended the territory of colonial Philippines due to their ignorance of previous laws. The country’s baselines were defi ned by the Philippine government only in the 1950s. The Kalayaan Island Group was added to the national territory in the 1970s. Since then, the baselines of the country have been defi ned and redefi ned by several laws passed by Philippine Congress.

Emphasizing the need to properly designate the country’s baselines, Batongbacal said that the national interest of a country can only be properly defi ned if its territory is properly delineated.

He said that the last time the Philippines had a clearly-defi ned national interest was during the Ramos administration. Since then, the national interest of the country has only been known to the political group holding on to the institutions of power.

Citing the culpability of the earlier colonizing powers for the confusion in the country’s baselines, Center for International Law Executive Director Romel Bagares said, “We are a victim of history. Being a colonized nation, we did not have a choice to defi ne our self-determination.”

Bagares said that the much of the public understanding of the national territory ignores what the Constitution provides about the baselines. Considering that there have been several international agreements and covenants governing archipelagic countries, Bagares said that it would be necessary to amend the fundamental law of the land if

only to satisfy the commitments the country has made with the international protocols.

While granting the need for a capable navy to impose the country’s will over its national territory, Bagares said that the Philippines is among the few countries in the world which has defi ned its territory in international agreements, maps and charts. “Of course we don’t have a navy, but so what? States have won arguments over territory based on law.”

For his part, Director Henry Bensurto of the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs Secretariat of the Department of Foreign Affairs said, “The baselines law is both a policy question, as well as a legal question.”

Bensurto said that the last properly-defi ning baseline law was passed in Congress 27 years ao. The baselines defi ned in the last law which would also be incorporated, if not enhanced, in the new law, are “products of historical evolution.”

He said it should be understood that territory is not acquired by a country’s mere defi nition of its baselines. Territories are still acquired in the classical modes of accretion, cession, conquest, occupation and prescription. The same modes apply even to archipelagic countries like the Philippines. Baselines, on the other hand, are defi nitions of the extent of that acquired territory. He stressed that the clear defi nition of a country’s baselines, especially an archipelagic country like the Philippines, will avoid the creation of pockets of high seas deep within the country’s waters.

The forum was organized by the Center for Political and Democratic Reform, UPD Department of Political Science and UPD Third World Studies Center.

Photos by B

ong Arboleda

Photos by B

ong Arboleda


UP launched last May 27 the celebration of the life and legacy of one of the most loved presidents of the university.

The President’s Committee in Commemoration of the Birth Centennial of Former UP President Salvador P. Lopez organized the activities from May 27 onwards to celebrate what it described as “one of the most democratic and relevant presidencies” in UP’s long history.

The launch at the Vargas Museum included messages from UP President Alfredo Pascual, UP Diliman Chancellor Caesar Saloma and former President SP Lopez’s widow, Adelaida Escobar Lopez. The program was followed by the opening of a photo exhibit on the

UP celebrates SP Lopez’s birth centennialKIM Quilinguing

na aktibista, lahat ay sumisibol sang-ayon sa kalagayang panlipunan. Bilang tuition and other fee increases (TOFI) baby, hindi naging mailap sa kanya ang krisis sa edukasyon, hindi naging abstrakto para sa kanya ang kagustuhang sa pinakasimple, baguhin ang maling umiiral. Taong 2007 nang pumasok siya bilang resident photographer ng publikasyong Outcrop sa UP Baguio—nakipamuhay sa komunidad ng mga Kankanaey at sa maagang edad nakita kung paanong ang militar ay nakasira sa kanilang komunidad. Taong 2008 nang lumipat siya sa UP Diliman, at lalong sumidhi ang pagkamulat niya sa krisis, sapat para hindi na lamang siya magkasya sa pakikibaka para sa kalagayan ng kapwa niya estudyante, tinanaw niya ang pagtulong sa masa. Tampok sa kanyang karanasan ay ang piket ng mga manggaggawa ng Kowloon House sa West Ave. Nang minsang hagisan ng mga pulis ng tear gas ang kubol o kampuhan ng mga manggagawa, isa si Maricon sa kabataang hindi nag-atubiling habulin ang mga pulis upang sila’y itaboy papalayo sa picketlayn.

Kalayaan at konsepto ng piitan (Continued from page 3)

Pagbalik sa bulto, sinabi sa kanila ng mga manggaggawa—“kung hindi dahil sa inyong kabataan, hindi kami magtitiyaga sa picketlayn...pinapalakas niyo ang loob namin.” Kalaunan, natapos din ang piket ng mga manggaggawa. Sa tagumpay ng piket sa Kownloon House, lalo nitong pinasikad ang kagustuhan ni Maricon na magtuluy-tuloy na kumilos. Kaya hindi nakapagtataka na noong Mayo 2009, nagpaalam siya.

Bente-uno anyos. Sa ganitong edad dapat pinakamalaya ang tao. Malayang makipagbarkada, tuklasin ang mga bagay na gusto niya at hindi niya nais gawin, magkamali, magsisi at matuto. Pero, sa kasamaang-palad, sa ganitong edad, ginawa siyang kriminal ng estado dahil sa kanyang pampulitikang paninindigan, kasama sina Romiel Cañete at Ronilo Baes—dalawang nakasama niya sa hanay ng pesante. Silang tatlo ang kasalukuyang tinatawag na Taysan 3.

Sa pagtatapos ng panunungkulan ni Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, umabot sa 371 ang bilang ng detenidong pulitikal sa bansa. Lahat ng ito ay naganap sa balangkas ng Oplan Bantay Laya 1 & 2 na naglayong

tugisin ang lahat ng lumalaban sa estado. Sa loob ng bagong administrasyon, halos walang pinag-iba dito ang Oplan Bayanihan, dahil kapwa sila tinulak ng planong counter-insurgency na binuo ng Estados Unidos at pilit na pinapatupad sa mga bansang may papet na pamunuan tulad ng Pilipinas.

Hindi mal i ang lumaban at sa katunayan, wala itong kinikilalang edad. Si Maricon, o EEDOM sa kanyang kababata at malapit na kapamilya ay tumindig para sa tunay na esensya ng kalayaan. Pinanganak noong Pebrero 25, at matamang niyakap ang diwa ng palayaw niya na isang paalala ng kung paano sama-samang tumindig ang sambayanang Pilipino para patalsikin ang diktadurang Marcos. Natutuhan ni Maricon na hindi ganap na malaya ang lipunan—habang ang manggagawa ay alipin ng sahod, walang tunay na reporma sa lupa, walang katiyakan sa paninirahan, hanggang ang edukasyon ay para sa iilan, lahat tayo ay bilanggo ng lipunang nagpoposturang demokratiko. Sa ganitong diwa, tunay ngang mas maraming bilanggo, pero mas masahol dito ang mga bilanggong hindi

batid na sila ay nasa piitan, at higit sa kanila ay mga bilanggong nagkakasya na lang maging bilanggo.

Ang kampanya pa ra s a mg a detinidong pulitikal ay hindi lamang kampanya para sa pagpapalaya para maalpasan ang mga pisikal na rehas ng isang bilangguan. Sa pinakaesensya ito ay sama-samang paglansag sa tanikalang hadlang sa pagkamit natin ng panlipunang-hustisya. Ito ay isang kilusan, hindi lamang para kay Maricon at sa ilang daan pa, kundi para sa sambayang Pilipinong kumakalam ang s ikmura at sa araw araw ay pagal ang katawan. Hangga’t may nagtatanim ngunit hindi nakakakain, hangga’t may manggagawa ngunit hindi matamasa ang kanyang nilikha—ito ay kilusan, habang, hangga’t may pagsasamantala.--------------------

Si Mai Uichanco ay nagtapos sa Kolehiyo ng Pangmadlang Komunikasyon sa UP Diliman.

Gusto mong makialam? Ipadala ang iyong sanaysay sa wikang Filipino (500-700 salita) sa UP System Information Offi ce ([email protected]).

and confidently when making decisions. And not to let himself be intimidated by his superiors and powerful science and education officials in government, who are not academic scientists.

When known reformer and physical chemist Zhu Qingshi was appointed president of a new Chinese university, he made it clear that he would be calling the shots. In an interview with Science, “Zhu explained how he intends to shake up China’s university system—whether

Democratic governance impedes academic reform (Continued from page 3)

former UP president’s years in the university.

Lopez, a journalist and a diplomat, was president of UP from 1969 to 1975. During his presidency, he confronted then Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos with demands from the UP community during the turbulent period prior to the imposition of martial law.

Lopez would not only be a witness but would also be involved with student groups during the First Quarter Storm and the Diliman Commune. On several occasions, he visited and checked on students who were assaulted and arrested by the police and other state forces.

In the darkest days of martial law,

Lopez did not hesitate to speak out against the regime. In his Dillingham Lecture delivered at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, USA, he described, among others, what had been the impact of military rule on the University and the country.

Aside from his commitment to the students and to a democratic society, Lopez is also credited with creating the University of Philippines system to protect UP campuses from being transformed by some politicians into separate institutions.

The system Lopez created has grown from one university in several campuses to a system composed of seven constituent

universities in eleven campuses stretching from Luzon to Mindanao. The creation of this system provided opportunities for poor and deserving students from different corners of the country to avail of quality education in the country’s premier university.

Aside from the photo exhibition, the president’s committee headed by former UP Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo scheduled several activities which would run from May to October this year. Among those being organized are a student literary and video competition;

the education ministry likes it or not.” (“University Head Challenges Old Academic Ways”)

To finish the job, outdated UP policies entrenched by group decisions should be changed. They should agree with the innovative practices started last decade using objective criteria rather than personal judgment. Examples are obsolete policies in faculty hiring, promotions and award-giving. They reduce the gains achieved by research

incentives and objective criteria in performance evaluation.

I bel ieve considerat ion of the above review is necessary for UP’s transition from a primarily teaching un ivers i t y to the count r y ’s f i r s t research university. As a research university, UP can be the national center for preparing qualified mentors in graduate schools, instructors in post-secondary education, teachers in primary and secondary levels and,

foremost, the future leaders of the country. This will start real reform in the country’s educational system and national progress.--------------------

Dr. Flor Lacanilao obtained his Ph.D. (specialization in comparative endocrinology) from the University of California at Berkeley. He served as chair of the Zoology Department at UP Diliman, chancellor of UP Visayas and chief of SEAFDEC in Iloilo. Email:[email protected]

Left to right, clock-wise: Manansala painting of former UP President SP Lopez; the UP Singing Ambassadors performing at the DECL Conference on Lopez’ Literature and Society; SP Lopez Birth Centennial Commemoration Committee Chair Prof. Judy Taguiwalo; UP Diliman Chancellor Cesar Saloma; former UP President Francisco Nemenzo viewing the photo exhibit

a tribute by the staff and research and extension personnel; and an academic conference which will address pressing University and country issues in the light of Lopez’s legacy.

Photos by Jun M

adrid


not give adequate coverage to topics of relevance to the Philippines and Southeast Asia in general. It therefore seems highly contentious to put forward the number of ISI publications as an “objective” measure of competence or “technical knowledge” in every possible fi eld of study within the University. Such an assertion would merit at least a number of empirical studies which would demonstrate how “competence” across the disciplines correlates with ISI publication rates. We would also have to inquire as to what “minimum” number of ISI publications one must have in order to be adjudged by Lacanilao, “competent” in a particular fi eld.

However, the core of his argument is that “group decisions” within the University which are made by “competent” members jointly with the “incompetent” (or badly published) majority will be worse than when the “competent” members make the decisions or call the shots by themselves. Lacanilao therefore supports what he sees as a “more effective alternative to democratic governance” which is for the well-published minority to “wield executive-decision power, as done in political and military crises.” In short, he advocates the dictatorship of the well-published over the poorly published. He cites a study which came out in the magazine Science (2010) entitled “Optimally Interacting Minds” by Bahrami et al. (Lacanilao mistakenly cites one of Bahrami’s co-authors Chris Firth as the main author of the study

in question) in support of his position against “democratic governance” in the University. The aforementioned study demonstrated how a simple “perceptual decision task” (i.e., perceiving differences in visual contrast in an image) involving inputs from two observers who are free to communicate their degrees of confi dence to each other and possessing “nearly equal visual sensitivity” could be combined to produce more accurate collective decisions. In this particular case, the study showed that two heads were indeed better than one. However, Bahrami et al. also found that if the two individuals have “different visual sensitivities,” then the results tend to be less accurate and the benefi ts of collaboration are much reduced. They therefore concluded that: “Individuals with very different sensitivities are best advised to avoid collaboration and instead should rely entirely on the more sensitive individual.”

Using a very wide latitude of interpretation, the paper by Bahrami et al. could indeed be construed as providing evidence against “democratic” forms of decision-making among “differently-competent” individuals. At the end of their paper however, the authors used the example of the “existence of weapons of mass destruction” to illustrate the “catastrophic consequences of consulting ‘evidence’ of unknown reliability.” In our view, what this particular example really demonstrates is how a naïve reliance on

the opinions of competent “experts” marshalled by Bush and Blair on the existence of these weapons in Iraq ended up having“catastrophic” results. Instead of demonstrating the dangers of democracy, this example actually underlines the necessity for openness in the dissemination of information among an actively involved and politically engaged citizenry. It should furthermore be emphasized that this study is not yet about how reasoning within a scientifi c community can achieve optimal results. Nor is it yet about the optimal mechanisms for collective decision-making within a highly complex human polity. Any further speculations about its broader implications ought to be subjected to the necessary scientifi c research and critical scrutiny.

One should also point out that the study pertains to a generally “fi xed” sensory capacity. If one were incurably blind, then one would naturally have to permanently rely on sighted people to determine the colours of objects. However, higher level forms of analysis, such as logical reasoning, critical thinking, aesthetic discrimination, ethical discernment etc. are not fixed capacities which remain the same through every cycle of decision-making. Such “competencies” are learned and may be continually improved and expanded throughout one’s lifetime. Furthermore, is not the domain of democratic decision-making precisely the school of the intellect and the grindstone of the critical mind?

Aren’t democratic forms of organization and governance valued not merely for achieving optimal results but also for the practices of human emancipation and individual autonomy which these nurture? Doesn’t the true collective benefit of science reside in the generalization and active dissemination throughout society of scientifi c and critical thinking rather than in the outright exclusion of those labelled “incompetent”?

If Lacanilao is interested in pursuing his line of argument then questions such as the following ought to be looked into carefully and dealt with in a scientifi cally rigorous way: Can the variety of competencies involved in all the different academic disciplines be reduced to a single “objective” measure, namely, number of ISI publications? Are the manifold high-level competencies involved in the various academic disciplines from art criticism, legal ethics, marine biology and so on reducible by analogy to the sensitivity of a single sensory function?

Dr. Lacanilao still has many things to prove to make his rousing call for a dictatorship of the well-published ISI elite more convincing to the poorly published and incompetent majority of the University. We hope these topics can be the subject of his future ISI publications.--------------------

Ramon Guillermo is associate professor at the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature, UP Diliman. He received his PhD in Southeast Asian Studies from the University of Hamburg, Germany. Email: [email protected].

In praise of the dictatorship of the highly published (Continued from page 3)

• Subsidized education for every UP student regardless of fi nancial capacity, tuition and other fees paid to UP that are much less than the direct cost of education in the University;

• Socialized tuition by which UP grants subsidies covering tuition, miscellaneous and laboratory fees, the subsidy level being based on capacity to pay and fi nancial need of the student;

• Scholarships consisting of living subsidies that are based on both financial need and academic performance; and

• Student assistantships which give undergraduate students the opportunity to earn P30/hour working for UP.

To qualify as STFAP applicant, a UP

student must:1. Be a Filipino citizen.2. Be a bona fi de undergraduate student.

Except for Law or Medicine, the applicant must not have a bachelor’s degree. For an incoming freshman or new student, the applicant must have a UP Notice of Admission.

3. Never have been adjudged guilty of any offense that carries a penalty of more than 30 days’ suspension.

4. Submit an application form to the designated office of his/her campus and complete the required documentation.

5. Be in need of fi nancial assistance as determined by the University.

For STFAP application forms or submissions, as well as inquiries as to other

sinigang, binagoongan, bibingka and puto bumbong.

But what really makes UPD famous are the isawan stalls beside the UP College of Law (Malcolm Hall) parking lot. These stalls offer the usual isaw baboy/manok or grilled pork and chicken intestines which you can dip in vinegar. It is common to see some celebrities lining up to buy isaw at these stalls.

Fishball and squid ball stands (which also serve kikiam and kwek-kwek or quail eggs dipped in butter and deep fried) are also scattered within the UPD campus, as are other sandwich and snack stalls in almost every college. The friendly bananacue and karioka vendors also roam the campus, as do ice cream vendors selling “dirty ice cream.” It is practically almost impossible to go hungry within UP with such delectable treats at almost every corner (assuming, of course, that you have some money).

Beyond books and classroomsAside from eating places, UPD also

fi nancial assistance programs like student/graduate assistantships, student loans and other scholarships, please visit UP’s offi ces of student affairs or scholarships:UP Diliman

Offi ce of Student Scholarships & ServicesRoom 301-306, Vinzons Hall Tel. Nos. (02) 928-7228 / 981-8500 local

4503, 4504, 4505, [email protected]

UP BaguioOffice of Scholarship & Financial

AssistanceTel. No. (074) 446-5230

UP Los BañosOffi ce of Student AffairsTelefax (049) [email protected]

UP Manila

Applying for STFAP (Continued from page 6)

Offi ce of Student Affairs2/F, Student Center, UP ManilaTel. Nos. (02) 526-2274, 525-4105

UP MindanaoOffi ce of Student AffairsAdministration BuildingTel. No. (082) 293-0016 local 114

UP Open UniversityScholarship, UPOU HeadquartersCollege, Los Baños, LagunaTel. Nos. (049) 536-6001 to 6006 loc.

[email protected]

UP VisayasOffi ce of Student AffairsUP Visayas Iloilo CityTel. Nos. (033) 513-7019 (Miagao), (033)

337-2929 (Iloilo City)[email protected]

provides a lot of extracurricular and recreational areas. Places like the Sunken Garden are always busy in the afternoons as Ultimate Frisbee, soccer and sports teams play until dusk or until the light holds out. The Academic Oval is also a popular destination for runners, joggers, and bikers as the bike lane provides a safe path for those who engage in these activities. Picnic-goers also favor the Sunken Garden and the Lagoon where they go to lounge and enjoy being surrounded by trees.

One activity that is increasingly becoming more popular within the campus is bird watching. UPD is home to a host of species of endemic and migratory birds, all of which can be seen by the patient observer. Members of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) regularly organize tours for which people can sign up to watch for the colorful and elusive birds found within the campus.

Aside from annual events the UPD community hosts and enjoys such as the UP

Lantern parade every December and the UP Fair every February, student organizations and colleges also have their own events and programs. In the College of Music, for example, there are concerts by students. The UP Film Institute also shows movies with varying themes almost every afternoon and evening at the Cine Adarna.

If one is interested to catch up on the UAAP, all he or she needs to do is go to the College of Human Kinetics (CHK) and look for the varsity offi ce for the schedules of games. During summer, the UP CHK also hosts a series of community classes for those who want to learn swimming and tennis, among others.

If theater is your interest, Dulaang UP and the UP Playwrights Theater both have their own series of plays every year. Usually, announcements of these events can be seen either at the colleges’ websites, or through the UPdate publication produced by the UP UPdate publication produced by the UP UPdateDiliman Information Offi ce (UP DIO).

And to take home the “UPD experience” with you (aside from fi lling your stomach

with goodies and being dog-tired from all the activities), one can shop around for souvenir items within the campus. At the SC, the Maroons shop offers UP-themed shirts, jackets, and more for people who want to wear the school colors and letters.

There are also bazaars that spring up every June and December on campus where almost all kinds of goods, from bags to shoes to toys and books, are sold at bargain prices.

For bookworms, the UP Press bookshop located inside the Balay Kalinaw is also worth a visit as it sells UP-published books at competitive prices.

The UPD experience is truly not all about studying, as can be seen from the vast variety of choices available for recreation and enjoyment. This is not only true of Diliman, but also of all the other constituent universities of the UP System. It is always an adventure each time one steps on any UP campus, which are something worth coming back to if only to be reacquainted with their sights and sounds (and tastes!).

UP Diliman as dining, recreation haven (Continued from page 7)

12 U.P. NewsletterU.P. NewsletterU.P. Newsletter U.P. Newsletter U.P. Newsletter JUNE 2011

U.P. NEWSLETTERPROF. DANILO ARAÑA ARAO Editor-in-Chief FRANCIS PAOLO QUINA Managing Editor PROF. LUIS TEODORO Editorial Consultant CAMILLE DELA ROSA, ANDRE ENCARNACION, CELESTE ANN CASTILLO LLANETA, JO. FLORENDO B. LONTOC, KIM QUILINGUING, ARLYN VCD P. ROMUALDO, BERNICE P. VARONA Writers BONG ARBOLEDA, MISAEL BACANI, JONATHAN MADRID Photographers

CELESTE ANN CASTILLO LLANETA Layout OBET EUGENIO Editorial Assistant TOM MAGLAYA Circulation The U.P. NEWSLETTER is a monthly publication of the UP System Information Office, Office of the Vice-President for Public Affairs. We welcome contributions from the faculty, non-academic staff, REPS and students. Please send your contributions to: THE EDITOR U.P. Newsletter Mezzanine Floor, Quezon Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City 926-1572, 436-7537 e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Mezzanine Floor, Quezon Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City 926-1572, 436-7537 e-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

Passing the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) is not the only way to get into the university. There is also the Varsity Athletic Admission System (VAAS) administered by the College of Human Kinetics (CHK), UP Diliman.

The VAAS, established in March 1978, authorizes the college to “recruit athletes, Filipiniana dancers, and pep squad members who may not have taken or may not have passed the UPCAT.” Though regarded by some sectors as a “backdoor” to gaining admission, it does not mean that because an applicant did not pass the UPCAT, he or she can be easily admitted to UP through the varsity program.

The process is actually very stringent. The applicants undergo tryouts for weeks, depending on the varsity team they want to enter. The VAAS contract states that the program is “a recognition of the worth and talent [of the applicant] in sports and dance.” UP therefore has the responsibility to develop and nurture these talents fully. Students who become part of the varsity, on the other hand, have to serve UP by participating in national and international competitions for four consecutive years.

For Academic Year 2011-2012, the Board of Regents (BOR) approved last June 3 the admission via VAAS of 160 new UP Diliman students. There were 637 applicants who participated in the try-outs held mostly last March and April.

Due to the limited quota requirements of other colleges, the CHK admits and houses most of the VAAS awardees in their degree programs for their fi rst year, either in the Bachelor in Physical Education or Bachelor of Sports Science, until they are able to shift to their preferred course.

These VAAS awardees, no matter which college they belong to, are required to comply with the rules and responsibilities

Strict admission policy for UP athletes Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo

The Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL) will hold the Rizal Sesquicentennial Literary Conference for Teachers on August 25 and 26 at the Bulwagang Rizal in UP Diliman.

National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera will be guest of honor.

Scholars will deliver papers on the works of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. Among those expected to speak are Dr. Soledad Reyes of Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) who will discuss Rizal’s novels, National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario of UP Diliman (UPD) who will analyze Rizal’s poems, Dr. Paul Dumol of the University of Asia and the Pacifi c who will talk about who will talk about who w Rizal’s plays, and Dr.

The College of Social Science and Philosophy and the Departmento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas (DFPP) of the College of Arts and Letters will commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal with an international conference from June 22 to June 24 at the GT Toyota Building, Asian Center, UP Diliman.

“Rizal in the 21st Century: Local and Global Perspectives” will bring together Rizal scholars from the Philippines and abroad to enrich the discourse and perspective on Rizal and his continuing signifi cance to today’s society.

For more details, please call Susan Alcantara at (632) 924-4899, (632) 981-8500 loc. 2123 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

Writers’ union to hold literary conference on Rizal for teachers

Ambeth Ocampo of AdMU and UPD who will discuss Rizal’s essays.

Prof. Danilo Francisco Reyes, Dr. Jerry Respeto and Dr. Corazon Lalu-Santos will demo-teach the works of Rizal to help educators fi nd new methods of teaching the Rizal course.

UMPIL National Convention

The two-day literary conference will end with the annual UMPIL convention. The convention will feature the Panayam Adrian Cristobal, part of UMPIL’s public intellectual lecture series, a book launching, a literary forum and the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas.

The event is supported by the Adrian

UPD to mark Rizal’s 150th b-day with int’l confab

Cristobal Foundation, the UP Institute of Creative Writing, the UP College of Arts and Letters and the Office of the Chancellor-UP Diliman. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Depar tment of Education (DepEd) have endorsed the conference.

UMPIL members, teachers and other interested parties are encouraged to participate in the conference as well the convention.

For details, please contact Eva Cadiz at (632) 922-1830 or send an email to Conference Director and UMPIL Secretary-General Michael Coroza at [email protected].

that come with their admission. Aside from their duties as participants in various competitions, they must enroll in five academic courses every semester for two semesters per academic year. VAAS awardees must also pass four out of these fi ve subjects per semester. Failure to comply with the rules results in disciplinary action by the VAAS committee composed of the chancellor, vice-chancellor for academic affairs, vice-chancellor for community affairs, CHK dean and one faculty representative.

Because the CHK manages the VAAS awardees, it informs the Offi ce of the University Registrar (OUR) of the varsity members’ status. The college also ensures the eligibility of its athletes in authorized leagues like the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

Aside from providing for the basic

needs of the VAAS awardees such as uniforms, equipment, practice and game allowances (as well as services like medical assistance, tutorials and counseling), the college also recommends deserving VAAS awardees for scholarships and grants offered by UP. These scholarships are usually in accordance with the UAAP’s policies and standards.

The UAAP is one of the major collegiate athletic leagues and, as such, most of their rules and regulations are also integrated into the VAAS. An example is the policy on transferees: If an athlete from a UAAP member-school decides to transfer to any of the UP varsity teams, then he or she must earn two years of residency in the university before being able to compete in UAAP events. If the athlete is from a non-UAAP school, then the residency required is only one

year. These transferees must take at least 33 units per academic year and have an average grade of 2.5 or better. If an athlete just graduated high school from a UAAP member-school, he or she is required to undergo a year of residency in UP before being able to compete in the senior division of the UAAP—unless his or her high school gives prior clearance stating that he or she is being voluntarily released to join a varsity team of another UAAP member-school.

UP has to be strict in implementing the varsity rules to ensure the quality of its performance in different competitions. With an average of 120 athletes admitted every year into the 28 UP varsity teams, the varsity program faces the challenge of developing VAAS awardees with both academic and athletic excellence in mind.

up newsletter june 2011

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