UPD Academic Calendar 0809

 

Applies to all units except the MBA and MS Finance programs of the College of Business Administration
and the M of Management programs of UPEPP and UPEPO

 

		FIRST SEMESTER			SECOND SEMESTER			SUMMER*
Physical Examination for incoming freshmen	Tue 1 Apr - Wed 30 Apr
Deadline for transfer students to file application	Wed 30 Apr
for admission (for 1st Sem)
ADVANCE REGISTRATION FOR FRESHMEN	Mon 5 May - Fri 9 May
Removal examination period	Thu 22 May - Mon 2 Jun			Fri 24 Oct - Mon 3 Nov			Tue 7 Apr - Fri 17 Apr
Validation for advance credit	Mon 19 May -Thu 26 Jun			Thu 16 Oct - Fri 21 Nov
Deadline for colleges to submit application for
CSAPG Cases:
- For 1st Sem, 2008-2009	Fri 2 May; Fri 16 May
- For 2nd Sem, 2008-2009				Mon 13 Oct; Mon 27 Oct
- For Summer 2009							Mon 9 Mar; Mon 30 Mar
COMMITTEE ON STUDENT ADMISSIONS,
PROGRESS & GRADUATION (CSAPG) MEETINGS:
- For 1st Sem, 2008-2009	Mon 12 May; Mon 26 May
- For 2nd Sem, 2008-2009				Mon 13 Oct; Mon 27 Oct
- For Summer 2009							Mon 9 Mar; Mon 30 Mar
GENERAL REGISTRATION
- Freshmen & Graduating Students	Mon 2 Jun			Mon 3 Nov			Mon 6 Apr-Tue 7 Apr
- Other Students	Tue 3 Jun - Fri 6 Jun			Tue 4 Nov-Thu 6 Nov
START OF CLASSES	Tue 10 Jun			Fri 7 Nov			Tue 14 Apr
FRESHMEN WELCOME ASSEMBLY	Tue 10 Jun
UP Foundation Day	Wed 18 Jun
Deadline for filing application for UPCAT:
- For 1st Semester 2009-2010 admission;
For Metro Manila Schools	Fri 20 Jun
For non-Metro Manila Schools	Fri 27 Jun
Deadline for colleges to submit approved list of
Candidates for graduation:
- For Summer 2008 graduates	Wed 25 Jun
- For 1st sem 2008-2009 graduates				Fri 21 Nov
- For 2nd Sem 2008-2009 graduates							Wed 8 Apr
Deadline for filing application for graduation:
- For 1st sem 2008-2009 graduates	Tue 24 Jun
- For 2nd Sem 2008-2009 graduates				Fri 21 Nov
- For Summer 2009 graduates							Fri 17 Apr
Deadline for colleges to submit tentative list of
Candidates for graduation:
- For 1st sem 2008-2009 graduates	Wed 2 Jul
- For 2nd Sem 2008-2009 graduates				Fri 28 Nov
- For Summer 2009 graduates							Thu 21 May
CURRICULUM COMMITTEE MEETINGS	Mon 9 Jun; Mon 23 Jul			Mon 3 Nov; Mon 10 Nov			Mon 16 Mar
UNIVERSITY COUNCIL MEETING TO RECOMMEND
RECIPIENTS OF DEGREES OR DIPLOMAS:
- For Summer 2008 graduates	Mon 21 Jul
- For 1st Sem 2008-2009 graduates				Mon 15 Dec
- For 2nd Sem 2008-2009 graduates							Mon 20 Apr
UP COLLEGE ADMISSION TEST (UPCAT)
- For 2nd Sem 2008-2009	Sun 3 Aug
- For 1st Sem 2009-2010 admission	Sat 2 Aug-Sun 3 Aug
Lantern Parade				Wed 17 Dec
CHRISTMAS VACATION				Thu 18 Dec
RESUMPTION OF CLASSES				Tue 6 Jan
Mid-Semester	Thu 7 Aug			Thu 22 Jan			Wed 29 Apr
Last day for graduating students to clear their	Tue 28 Aug			Wed 11 Feb			Mon 27 Apr
deficiencies
DEADLINE FOR DROPPING SUBJECTS	Mon 8 Sep			Fri 20 Feb			Fri 8 May
DEADLINE FOR FILING LEAVE OF ABSENCE FOR	Fri 19 Sep			Fri 6 Mar
STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED
END OF CLASSES	Wed 8 Oct			Tue 24 Mar			Tue 19 May
Integration Period	Thu 9 Oct-Sat 11 Oct			Wed 25 Mar-Thu 26 Mar			Wed 20 May
FINAL EXAMINATIONS:
- Graduating Students	Mon 13 Oct-Wed 15 Oct			Fri 27 Mar-Mon 30 Mar			Thu 21 May-Fri 22 May
- Other Students	Mon 13 Oct-Tue 21 Oct			Fri 27 Mar-Sat 04 Apr
DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING GRADES:
- Graduating Students	Thu 23 Oct			Mon 6 Apr			Fri 29 May
- Other Students	Thu 23 Oct			Tue 14 Apr
BOARD OF REGENTS MEETING TO APPROVE	Per BOR Schedule)			Per BOR Schedule)			Per BOR Schedule)
GRADUATION
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES				Sun 26 Apr

^a For the Summer session, 3-unit lecture classes meet two (2) hours daily, Monday to Friday for the 24-class days.

^b For transferees from schools outside the UP system. Students from other CUs should check with the College where they

intend to transfer as deadline may be earlier.

^c Students who will not enroll during the semester must file their Leave Of Absence (LOA) during the Registration period. The

deadline for filing LOA within the semester/term is only for those currently enrolled.

^d Classes as usual.

_______________________

@ Approved by the Office of the President on February 04, 2008

 

HOLIDAYS DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR

2008 2009

Thu	12	June	Independence Day		Thu	1	January	New Year’s Day
Sat	2	August	UPCAT (UP only) for AY 2009-2010 admission		Wed	25	February	EDSA Day (February 23)
Tue	19	August	Quezon Day (QC only)		Thu	9	April	Maundy Thursday
Thu	21	August	Ninoy Aquino Day (Aug. 25)		Fri	10	April	Good Friday
Mon	25	August	National Heroes Day		Fri	9	April	Araw ng Kagitingan (April 13)
Tue	30	September	E’idl Fitr *		Fri	1	May	Labor Day (May 4)
Sat	1	November	All Saint’s Day
Sun	30	November	Bonifacio day (December 1)
Thu	25	December	Christmas Day
Tue	30	December	Rizal Day

* E’idl Fitr is declared as a national holiday by Malacañang. Sepetmber 30, 2008 is the estimated date of E’idl Fitr. This holiday is declared

based on the appearance of the new moon and may vary from one year to the next.
*RA 9492 mandates that most holidays except those with religious significance will be shifted

to the nearest Monday (as indicated in parenthesis).

UP@100: Vinzons UPgrade

Known far and wide as an icon of student leadership, activism and involvement, Vinzons Hall was established as the university’s premiere student center. Through the course of its existence, it has been a leadership training ground for the Iskolars para sa bayan. However, over the past few years, the physical structure of Vinzons Hall has rapidly been deteriorating. The downgrade of its physical condition has greatly affected its image as a student center. Hence, this centennial year, the university student council recognizes the need to re-establish its true essence as a premiere student center.

 

Spearheaded by the USC Vinzons Hall Committee, the Vinzons UPgrade renovation project is a joint effort with various UP students and organizations. The aim is to tap into the skills of various students from their respective fields of expertise. The entire restoration project encompasses a long term plan involving four key phases. The first phases focus on the renovation and restoration of its existing facilities. The goal of this phase is to preserve the architectural heritage of Vinzons by applying modern day designs to further emphasize its historical features. This renovation phase shall then be followed by the integration of relevant student services into these facilities. All these are geared towards the establishment of a true student union. Funds for the restoration shall be raised through alumni solicitations and corporate marketing. We aim to complete the first phase before the end of 2008.

 

Vinzons Upgrade Team:

Project Heads

Councilor Joseph Miguel Gutierrez/ Arki Rep Marc Angelo Virtucio

Publicity Head

Music Rep Marianna Achacoso

Alumni Relations Head

Councilor Stephen Larcia

Corporate Relations Head

BA Rep Norberto Geraldez

 

Partner Organizations (as of Summer 2008):

1. UP Circle of Landscape Architecture Students (UPCLAS)
2. UP Architecture Forum (AF)
3. UP Adcore
4. UP Junior Marketing Association (UP JMA)

 

Do you or your organization wanna be part of this groundbreaking centennial event? Email us at vinzonsupgrade@yahoo.com or text JOSEPH at 09178247893

A Tribute to Ka Bel

On May 20, 2008, Rep. Crispin B. Beltran, ANAKPAWIS partylist representative on his third term in Congress, a great labor leader, an incorruptible parliamentarian, staunch fighter for national freedom, democracy and international working class solidarity, died at 11:48am at the FEU hospital in Quezon City due to severe head injuries. He was 75.

We mourn with his family and friends, comrades and colleagues. Yet, in his passing, he left a distinctive and brilliant legacy of fighting not only for the interest of the workers and oppressed people but most especially of the Filipino youth.

Rep. Beltran is scheduled to file a bill to remove the E-VAT on electric power to lower the rates affecting his constituents. Rep. Beltran’s study of his legislative measures is for the protection of the underprivileged and other marginalized sectors.

Crispin Beltran, more endeared to the masses as “Ka Bel”, is a living legend and epitome of militancy and progressive lawmaking in the country. Before his demise, he was the Chairman of the national political party Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Partylist and is its re-elected Representative to the Philippine Congress.

Having been an activist for over fifty long years, Ka Bel is esteemed by laborers, peasants, and urban poor and other marginalized sectors as a true defender of the toiling masses and staunch critic of privatization, deregulation and other destructive policies of globalization.

Ka Bel also stands against the United States’ war of aggression on Iraq and its war on terror. He also is steadfast in his call for respect for national sovereignty and international unity against foreign intervention.

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, at an early age, Ka Bel volunteered as a courier for the guerillas. After the war, he worked as a farm hand and janitor to support his studies. He then worked as a gasoline boy, messenger, bus driver and later on, a taxi driver. At age 20, he joined his fellow drivers in a strike against unfair labor practices. The police attacked their picket line, injured many and claimed the lives of three protesting workers. Since then, Ka Bel vowed to fight alongside the working class.

He organized the Amalgamated Taxi Drivers Association, for which he served as President from 1955 up to 1963. Together with Felixberto ‘Ka Bert’ Olalia and Feliciano Reyes, leaders of the Filipino labor movement’s militant tradition, he organized the Confederation of Labor of the Philippines (CLP). He was CLP’s Vice-President from 1963 to 1972. Ka Bel also helped found the Philippine Workers Congress and other labor organizations such as KASAMA and PACMAP, which de facto asserted their recognition during Martial Law.

Under the repressive martial law, Ka Bel helped establish the Federation of Unions in Rizal and the Philippine Nationalist Labor Organization (PANALO) until KMU was founded in 1980. From 100,000, KMU’s membership soared to 500,000 in the 1980s. The establishment of KMU united and strengthened the people in its fight against the fascism of the Marcos dictatorship.

When Marcos launched a crackdown in August 1982, Ka Bel was one of those arrested and detained. In November 1984, he was able to escape, and went back to organizing workers and peasant s in the countryside.

When Ka Rolando “Lando” Olalia was brutally murdered in 1987, Ka Bel took over the presidency of KMU. He ran for senator under the banner of Partido ng Bayan that same year and garnered 1.52 mi llion votes but lost due to massive “dagdag bawas” (ballot and vote switching) scheme of elect ion fraud. He remained a leader of the militant union until March 2003.

He also became a National Council Member of multi-sectoral alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) which means New Patriotic Alliance) in 1985 and also served as its national chairperson from 1993 to 1999.

Ka Bel became the chairman of the International League for People’s Struggles in 2002. He is also considered as one of the pillars of international working class solidarity in the era of globalization.

From February 2001 to November 2003, he served as Vice President and one of the three representatives of Bayan Muna (People First) Partylist to Congress, where he introduced legislations imbued with his high sense of patriotism and advocacy of the rights and welfare of the marginalized sectors.

In 2004, he became the representative for Anakpawis Partylist as a sectoral representative of workers, peasants, urban poor and other toiling masses.

Ka Bel was cited by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism as the partylist representative in the 13th Congress with the most number of bills and resolutions filed, totaling to 130, and with a nearly perfect attendance before his arrest in February 2006.

His three-term stint in the House of Representatives has garnered him awards such as Filipino of the Year and Most Outstanding Congressman for four consecutive years from 2002 - 2005, and in 2006, was adjudged part of the Congressional Hal l of Fame - all these and the respect of the public he reaped even as the Arroyo regime continues to persecute him and his fellow activists.

After his arrest and year-and-a-half long arbitrary and illegal detention initiated by the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration, Ka Bel was proven innocent of the rebellion charges against him.

Persecution, however, persists through the fabricated inciting to sedition case that the Metropolitan Court of Quezon City refuses to dismiss until now, despite legal prohibit ions for duly-elected officials to be charged with crimes punishable by not more than s ix years of imprisonment such as inciting to sedition.

In October 2007, Ka Bel exposed bribery attempts by administration allies, particularly by KAMPI member Francis Ver. He was offered P2 million in exchange for his support to the weak impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Ka Bel is survived by 11 children, 29 grandchildren and 5 great-grand children.

People’s Struggle Committee
UP Diliman - University Student Council

Bangis: Krisis sa Langis

Crude oil and various petroleum products are crucial in literally fueling the economy of a nation, ensuring its security and defense and help provide basic consumer needs. Presently, oil has become a strategic and vital product to the global nations. If blood is the lifeline of our body, then oil is the lifeline of the economy, even sustains the life of a nation.

Ang langis ang nagpapatakbo sa industriya at serbisyo hanggang sa mga batayang gamit pangkonsumo. Ang langis ang nagpapatakbo sa mga makina ng sektor ng manupaktura at makinaryang agrikultural, sa mga sasakyan sa lupa, karagatan at sa kalawakan. Mahalaga ang langis mula sa paggana ng ating mga kalan sa kusina hanggang sa pagpapaandar ng ekonomya ng bansa.”

Speech of Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran
2008 Philippine Energy Summit,
January 29, 2008, SMX Convention Center
(former taxi driver and factory worker)

We are very much aware that the oil industry is very vital to the nation’s development. Our country is is a sanctuary of oil and energy sources such as the Malampaya and Nido in Palawan and the Liguasan Marsh in Central Mindanao. However, these and other potential energy sources like coal and geothermal are left for exploration and development in the control of foreign corporations, making us heavily reliant on imported oil products and its unending swelling of prices and eventually buying our own locally sourced new energy and power sources from foreign firms at higher costs.

Last year, the prices of various gasoline products increased by 24% (P35.75 to P44.45) while diesel prices hiked by up to 21% (P31.75 to P38.45). Cooking gas or LPG, most commonly used in households posted an increase of 21.95% (P533 to P650). Retail prices of kerosene which is used by small fishers as well as most households in the countryside and urban poor communities have jumped by 14%. Since Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo rose to power in 2001, prices of gasoline products increased by 143% up to 147%; diesel prices increased by 172%. For the past twelve years since the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Law was enacted in 1996, prices of gasoline products increased by 352% to 364%; diesel by 434%; kerosene by 454% and LPG by 356%.

Majority of the basic masses with very low purchasing power suffer the burden of increase in prices of basic commodities that rise up with the price of oil. The government even joined in bleeding the people dry by imposing a 12% RVAT on these products.

Jeepney drivers, for instance, will have to work doubly hard to earn a decent income for their families with unabated diesel price hikes. Last year alone, a jeepney driver’s daily expense for diesel increased by P147.30 as the prevailing pump price of diesel jumped by P4.91 per liter between January and November 2007. (Based on transport group Piston’s estimate that a jeepney driver consumes an average of 30 liters of diesel per day) Diesel costs jeepney drivers around P1,125.90 per day and has to hand over between P600 to P900 (depending on the unit’s seating capacity) as daily “boundary” to the jeepney owner or operator. This means that he can only start earning for his family if he has already made P1,725.90 to P2,025.90 to cover for the diesel cost and the operator’s share.

In line with this, concrete and decisive steps must be implemented to stop these attacks on the income and livelihood of our people.

Repeal Republic Act 8479 or the Oil Deregulation Law
One concrete, urgent and practical solution to the ills of high oil prices is to repeal the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Law.

The Filipino people has suffered its wounding impacts such as under deregulation, oil companies are no longer compelled or bound by law to justify the increases. Under the same policy, Oil Price Stabilization Fund (OPSF) or subsidies on oil products was removed. The fund could have still been utilized to mitigate the effects of oil price hike more so that the public is demanding for transparency and accountability from its government. And lastly, the declaration that the law would result to effective competition and accessibility with the entry of new industry players did not result in competition and affordability nationwide, particularly in the rural areas.

The monopolistic control of transnational corporations was further encouraged by the Oil Deregulation Law. The existence of Petron, Royal Dutch-Shell, and Chevron (formerly Caltex) in the oil industry is the immediate reason for the overpriced and incessant increase in oil prices. They shamelessly and uncontrollably dictate the price of oil, pressure countries, even OPEC member countries, to create the market beneficial to their aim of earning billions of dollars.

Imagine, six oil giants control the oil industry from exploration up to retailing of petroleum products making them the richest and most powerful block in the world. Even the Supreme Court in its decision on the constitutionality of the 1996 version of the oil deregulation law affirms the existence of such foreign oligopolistic control in the local oil industry. That is the reason why it is disgusting to hear from the government that they can’t do anything to lower the oil prices.

Oil is a deliberately essential commodity and must, therefore, be developed and nationalized, under which price is controlled, for the benefit of the people. Through nationalization and regulation, there would be room for reforming purely profit-oriented mechanisms into a socially responsible handling of the oil industry. With a government at the forefront of managing the oil industry, it has the capacity to direct the downstream oil industry with the national thrust towards economic development.

Currently there are proposed measures in Congress filed by Anakpawis, Bayan Muna and Gabriela Women Party that we must espouse to address immediate and long-term solutions to the problems of the oil industry. These measures are:

House Bill 3029: An Act Regulating the Downstream Petroleum Industry - This proposal requires the regulation of the petroleum industry through the creation of a buffer fund and a Petroleum Regulatory Council that will not be bound by the dictates of oil companies. Regulation can only be effective and truly beneficial if it is part of a program to nationalize the oil industry, so that local oil prices can be brought down from unreasonable and unjustifiable levels set by giant transnational oil corporations and can be prevented from falling prey to further monopoly pricing and manipulation.

House Bill 3030: An Act Instituting Centralized Procurement of Petroleum in the Country - This bill sees the need to interdict the hidden and unchecked transfer pricing between oil company subsidiaries, including probable price padding in the sale of petroleum and petroleum products between refiners and local subsidiaries, to protect the majority of Filipinos from current runaway increases in oil prices. This can be done through centralized procurement of all imported crude oil and refined petroleum products, which includes the creation of buffer supplies to cushion consumers against drastic increases in petroleum prices, and the re-nationalization of Petron Corporation.

HB 3031: An Act Renationalizing Petron Corporation - This bill defines it as a State policy that the business of importing, exporting, re-exporting, marketing, distributing, and selling, whether retail or wholesale, as well as operations and activities of natural and juridical persons, firms, and entities engaged in such activities, shall be carried out in a manner consistent with the public interest. This policy aims to: a) To assure that locally refined and processed petroleum products, as well as imported crude oil and processed petroleum, be primarily for the benefit of the general welfare; and, (b) To assure the public of reasonable prices for petroleum products and to prevent unfair trade/business practices in the industry, particularly with regards to prices.

HB 1126: An Act to include LPG and Kerosene in the list of basic necessities in Section 3, Definition of terms of Republic Act 7581 or the Price Act - LPG and kerosene are considered basic household necessities and socially sensitive products. Ironically, both are not included in the list of basic necessities provided in Section three (3), Definition of Terms of Republic Act 7580, and otherwise known as the “Price Act.” Thus, the filing of this bill.

Other proposals include the moratorium on oil price hikes and the suspension of the 12%-Value Added Tax on oil products for a period of six months. When passed and sincerely implemented, can give immediate relief to almost half a million jeepney drivers and their families and 8.6 million households consuming LPG and 9.4 million households using kerosene.

This must start with the government declaring as a matter of national policy that all activities relating to the downstream and upstream oil industry must be under regulation and supervision so as to allow the State to:

1. Ensure adequate and continuous supply of crude oil and refined petroleum products under the most economic and competitive terms possible considering all available sources of supply, including local supply.
2. Ensure that the entire petroleum industry serves the national interest and economic needs of the country.
3. Ensure that the consuming public enjoys reasonable prices of petroleum products and prevent price manipulation, unfair competition and other trade abuses being committed primarily by big foreign oil corporations.
4. Promote Filipino capital, labor and technology in the downstream and upstream oil industry.
5. Uphold the constitutional guarantee of full state control and supervision over the country’s petroleum resources in the name of national interest and in pursuit of industrialization, while maximizing whatever benefits that foreign financial and technical assistance will bring in the exploration, development and utilization of local crude oil and other petroleum.

The diminishing accessibility of oil and basic commodities to the majority of the Filipino people is tantamount to eradicating our right to a dignified life. To reiterate what Ka Bel (Representative Crispin Beltran) pronounced, oil is the lifeline of the economy and we must struggle for the sustenance of the life of our nation.

REPEAL OIL DEREGULATION LAW!
SCRAP THE VAT ON OIL!
NATIONALIZE THE OIL INDUSTRY!

Sources:
Various IBON Databank position papers on the Oil Industry
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Briefing Paper January 2008
Anakpawis Partylist
Bayan Muna Partylist
Gabriela Women’s Partylist
Sun Star
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Pinoy Weekly

(Prepared by the Peoples’ Struggles Committee of the University Student Council)

UP PADYAK: An Interview with the UP Mountaineers

Biking has never been big in this part of the world. However, the new “UP PADYAK” project led by the UP Mountaineers may soon change all that. CHE Representative Rinno Camilit (also the Environmental Concerns Committee Chairperson) seeks to unravel the greater implications of this project to the university through a dialogue with the UP Mountaineers.

Last May 9, 2008, Rep. Camilit went to interview Mr. Joselito Gonzales, a member of the UPM for 10 years and a graduate of the UP College of Architecture. As both a mountaineer and as an architectural graduate, Mr. Gonzales is at the crux of the hot issues surrounding the implementation of the One-Way Academic Oval policy and the bike lane. Mr. Gonzales is also one of the strongest advocates of bicycles as alternative form of transportation for the Philippines.

Mr. Gutierrez talks to the UP PADYAK Volunteers

According to Mr. Gutierrez, the UP Padyak project was spearheaded by the alumni members of the UP Mountaineers. Their mission is to promote cycling, environmental protection, and a healthy lifestyle. Currently, they have 16 bikes that are being used by volunteers (all of whom are UP students) to promote the project. Don’t be surprised if you see one of these beautiful bikes roaming around campus:

So far, the project is in it’s infant phase. Mr. Gutierrez claims that with only 16 bikes and no localized bike storage system implemented by the UP administration, the biggest concern of the future UP Padyak bikers is the possibility of theft.

Another problem that they’re facing is the purchase of additional bikes for rent because the project is on a limited budget. Although many private companies have already offered to give funding, the UP Mountaineers insist that its their last option because they want to protect the pure interests of the organization in promoting this project.

How can we make UP PADYAK a successful project?

1.) Encourage the Administrators/Local Councils of each college to build and maintain bike racks.

2.) Encourage student organizations to participate in the biking campaign. They may contact the UP Mountaineers if they want to order bikes*, so that the organization can process the organizations’ cumulative requests (wholesale purchases cost less than single purchases).

*Author’s note: Maybe we can ask the UP Mountaineers if they do custom bikes and if they can organize a bike parade as a culminating activity for the inaugural year of UP Padyak. Imagine American Chopper, only with real bikes this time.

For more information (and photos) on the project, visit www.padyak.org. If you or your organization would like to participate in this project, please do not hesitate to contact any member of the Environmental Concerns Committee or ask to be redirected in the USC Office. Our EnviCom Chair can be contacted at 0906-2218248. You may also write to padyakbikes@gmail.com or text 0916-6001225 if you are interested.

A Call for Vigilance: Mondays or Wednesdays?

Let us remain vigilant.

The new Academic Calendar has been approved. The peculiar thing is, the usual Wednesdays-off has been changed. Now, Monday is our official day off, aside from the weekends.

On February 4, 2008, the Board of Regents, approved the resolution submitted by UPD Chancellor Sergio Cao recommended by the UPD Executive Committee, observing Mondays-off. This is in line with RA 9492, an Act rationalizing of national holidays amending for the purpose Section 26, Chapter 7, Book 1 of Executive Order No. 292, as amended, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987” or the holiday economics. The resolution states that, “due to the enactment of RA 9492, most holidays, except those of religious significance will be shifted to the nearest Monday, the academic calendar will now observe Mondays off to avoid interruption of classes that fall on Monday. (UPD Executive Committee, January 24, 2008)”.

After the enactment, Chancellor Cao called upon the colleges to conduct consultations for the said shift. However, resolutions of such consultations have failed devastatingly to represent the sentiments of most students.

Constant vigilance is not for its own sake. Same efforts have been seen in the case of the UP Visayas for instance. So that after implementing the same policy, students and the faculty members have successfully brought back the Wednesday-off Academic Calendar. This same call of constant vigilance goes to all UP students.

It is in this regard that the University Student Council emphasizes that such policies, albeit left entirely on the discretion of the Chancellors, directly affect students and faculty members alike. Having said that, we call that such changes be studied further where students and faculty members are involved and consulted accordingly. It is our resolve that any measure or policy be truly reflective of the student’s, as well as the UPD community’s, interest.

This statement was prepared by the USC Academic Concerns Committee.

11 New Eng’g Lab Fees Pending Approval

Last May 6, 2008 the Students Rights & Welfare Committee (STRAW Committee), headed by Councilor Jaque Eroles, attended the student dialogue regarding the proposed Lab Fee increase for 11 Mechanical Engineering (ME) courses. Representatives from the College of Engineering Student Council (ESC) and Student Regent Shahanah Abdulwahid also attended the dialogue initiated by the ME department head, Prof. Gerald Denoga.

According to Prof. Denoga, the department aims that the increases be implemented starting First Semester AY 2008-2009. The proposal has already been approved by the college faculty and administration, and was already submitted to Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs, Dr. Elizabeth Enriquez. However, the OVCSA refused to approve the proposal since it did not undergo consultation with the University Student Council (USC). Thus, the reason for the said dialogue.

The courses affected by the proposed lab fee increase are as follows:

SUBJECT	Original Fee	Proposed New Fees	Remarks
ME 122 Turbomachinery	0	600	presently no equipment for the experiments
ME 131 Manufacturing Processes	300	1,500	price increase in materials
ME 136 Machine Tools Operations	300	1,500	price increase in materials
ME 143 Mechanical Vibrations	0	800	will need PC’s
ME 176 Control Systems 1	0	800	will need PC’s
ME 183 Refrigeration & Airconditioning	200	800	consumables & PC use
ME 73 Mechanical Measurements & Instrumentation	300	500	consumables & maintenance
ME 41 Mechanisms	0	500	will need shop & PC
ME 142 Dynamics 0f Machinery	0	500	will need shop & PC
ME 91 Numerical Methods	0	800	will need PC’s
SHOP 7 Shop Practices	200	1,500	price increase in materials

The original proposal included ME 165 Internal Combustion Engines (none-P1500) but was opposed by the ESC since according to them, it was a lecture class. The department agreed and decided that it shall not be included in the proposed lab fee increase.

Prof. Denoga discussed the rationale for such increases. According to him, ME should be a hands-on program and students should have access to adequate laboratory facilities. Most of these equipment and facilities are either non-functioning, insufficient or inexistent. Experiments may also require fuel, materials and other consumables. Also the 5 courses that currently has a lab fee was based on pre-1989 prices. The proponent also presented the cost breakdown of the expenses per subject.

The USC having the benefit of discussion during the dialogue recommended for the deferral of approval since certain question and concerns were not addressed. Some of these questions are:

1. In light of the second year of implementation of the Tuition and Other Fee Increase (TOFI), will there be any budget increase for the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department? The TOFI promised for better facilities but why is there a need for even more exorbitant laboratory fees?

2. How else can lessons be modified to minimize cost while not sacrificing the quality of instruction?

3. What are the other possible sources of funds?

4. What are the mechanisms of the ME Department or of the College of Engineering Administration to address students welfare concerns? For example, in the ME program, students need to take 2 to 3 of such laboratory courses in one semester. Such may result to a possible P4,500 in total of lab fees to be paid by a 3rd year or 4th year ME major. What shall be the action to be taken if there will be any student who will be forced to drop-out and not graduate because of the increase?

5. Are laboratory fees, in general, supposed to cover acquisition expenses, aside from maintenance expenses, and consumables as what the proposal indicates?

The USC and the ESC shall also study if it will be possible to request the Industrial Engineering (IE) Department to subsidize their students who take SHOP 7. According to Prof. Denoga, they were able to offer SHOP 7 to their majors until the IE department required this subject to IE majors. Since there are approximately 140 IE majors, as opposed to around 40 ME majors, the ME Department could not shoulder the SHOP 7 expenses alone. The USC STRAW committee and ESC plans to draft a letter requesting for the deferral of approval to be submitted to the OVCSA, Office of the Chancellor and the Board of Regents.

A Most Memorable LCC Meeting

Last Friday, May 2, The League of College Councils (LCC) of UP Diliman was officially convened by USC Vice Chairperson Airah Cadiogan. The meeting, which aimed to introduce the LCC and its functions to the newly-elected college student councils in UP Diliman, was the first for the Academic Year 2008-2009 and was hosted by the College of Education Student Council.

However, the unwelcome news of a blackout in the UP area resulted in a slew of logistical adjustments that saw the council members in attendance ushered from one bigger and brighter classroom to another. But when finally settled in the most conducive (given the conditions) room to hold the meeting, the more or less 50 council members coming from 17 different colleges went straight to business.

The USC Vice Chairperson delivered her brief welcome remarks to officially open the meeting, after which personal introductions of each council member in attendance were given. Copies of the LCC constitution were then distributed to the different councils and the principles, powers and duties, composition, and other functions of the LCC were subsequently opened for discussion.

The next item on the agenda was the UP Student Regent’s (SR) report to be delivered by SR Shahana Abdulwahid. However, as SR Abdulwahid had fallen ill after weeks of travel, Airah read the SR report to the councils.

SR Abdulwahid stressed three concerns that UP councils should be vigilant about: the recent signing and implementation of the new UP Charter; the ongoing and pending demolition of communities in the UP Diliman campus, and the related UP-endorsed MMDA road widening project that is putting such demolitions into effect; and the newly approved laboratory fees in different courses and colleges. The SR called for college councils to be at the frontline of defending students’ rights. They should be the body that will inform, guide and involve all students in issues and activities that will invariably affect the UP Community.

Also, SR Abdulwahid invited all councils to attend the National Council (NC) Meeting organized by the Office of the Student Regent thru KASAMA sa UP, the UP system-wide alliance of student councils. The NC Meet will take place in UP Cebu on May 22-23 with a registration fee pegged at P600 per delegate. SLIS Representative Hazel Rodelas, who is the chairperson of KASAMA sa UP, spoke on the primary objectives of the NC Meet and asked councils to schedule an orientation for further details.

The meeting then proceeded to the USC Committee reports beginning with Councilor Jaque Eroles for the Student Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Committee, Councilor Beverly Lumbera for the Ad-hoc Committee on the revision of the UPD Student Council Election Code, Councilor Bang Dizon reporting for CSWCD Representative Carmela Lagang for the Community Rights and Welfare (CRAW) Committee, and Councilor Joseph Gutierrez for the Ad-hoc Committee on the rehabilitation of Vinzons Hall. Finally, Councilor Eroles stood in for Ms. Ipay Bolibol of Youth Act Now, the national broad alliance of youth organizations standing for truth and accountability in the government and demanding the resignation of Pres. Arroyo, to share their upcoming events and campaigns.

For about half an hour from the committee reports, the meeting carried on in the dark, punctured with cellphone flashlights and other improvised means of casting some brightness on written notes and others’ faces. Eventually, however, it became too tedious to carry on with the meeting. Thus, the first LCC meeting was prematurely adjourned in light (pun intended) of the unfortunate conditions.

Consequently, College Councils’ Reports are now slated to be discussed in the next meeting, which was tentatively scheduled on the second week of May. Confirmation of the exact time and date shall be disseminated through the official LCC mailing list (to be created by Vice-Chairperson Cadiogan).

In closing, all college councils were reminded to 1) set venues for the USC projects and campaigns to most effectively reach out to and involve their respective constituents, 2) ensure that all given documents will be distributed to students in their colleges, 3) submit their council directory as soon as possible to Airah at airah.cadiogan@yahoo.com, 4) finalize their summer-June calendar of activities, and 5) properly report back to their councils all that had been discussed in the 1st LCC meeting.

Open Letter for the Proper Implementation of RA 8504

Grief is never itself a cure. The National Epidemiology Center of the Department of Health reports 52 HIV Ab seropositive cases at the HIV and AIDS Registry in February this year. This is a staggering 126% increase in the number of reported cases compared to the same period last year. From January 1984 to February 2008, there were 3,153 HIV Ab seropositive cases reported, of which 2,366 (75%) were asymptomatic and 787 (25%) were AIDS cases. Of the 787 AIDS cases, 308 had already died at the time of reporting. These are grieving realities that cannot sit in judgment any longer.

With this exacerbating condition, government legislation had taken positive steps to address the problem through the Republic Act No. 8504 or Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998—an act that was seen to develop a compassionate and enabling environment by instituting nationwide HIV/AIDS Information and Educational Programs that shall be carried out in all schools and training centers, workplaces and communities. It stated that Department of Education “shall integrate instruction on the causes, modes of transmission, and ways of preventing HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases in subjects taught in public and private schools at intermediate grades, secondary and tertiary level, including non-formal and indigenous learning systems.” The act had been cited by the UNAIDS as one of the best practices in the national HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. However, progressive and proactive measures do not end in legislation alone. Proper implementation is just as crucial.

In this vein, the University of the Philippines-Diliman University Student Council (UPD-USC) calls the attention of the administrative offices concerned.

To the UP Administration, we demand that such HIV/AIDS Information and Education Programs be explicitly incorporated in the courses, if not in the curricula offered by the university. Recognizing the insufficient or even lack of integration of these programs in the existing courses by which HIV/AIDS education may be relevant, we call for better quality and greater scope of intervention by the UP administration as far as this directive is concerned. This we ask as a minimum compliance to the AIDS law.

To the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education, we appeal to the very principles, objectives and functions by which these institutions are founded. We call for the strict and precise implementation of the guidelines, procedures and standards prepared and issued by the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), as the body mandated to oversee this integrated and comprehensive approach to HIV/AIDS prevention and control in the Philippines.

USC acknowledges the growing HIV/AIDS problem in the Philippines and we believe that education is an extremely decisive tool in mitigating, if not at all obliterating the problem at its core. We recognize that through education, one is imbued with desirable health values and decision making skills indispensable to AIDS prevention and control. And ultimately through education, one is afforded by the capacity to develop a mature, rational, and responsible disposition on the issue—one basic thing that is given due confidence and conviction by no less than the law of the land.

This statement was prepared by the Gender Committee of the University Student Council.

Open Letter to VC Gregorio & CMC Admin

An Open Letter to Vice-Chancellor Cynthia Gregorio & The College of Mass Communication Administration

As early as the first week of April, it has come to the USC’s attention that 11 residents from Village B, UP Diliman will be affected by the planned demolition in the said area to give way to the rehabilitation of the DZUP tower. As student body representatives that recognizes the importance of the different sectors of the UP community, the USC decided that it would be best to study the whole situation in order to protect the rights and welfare of Village B residents, while not having to sacrifice the improvement of broadcast services to be rendered by the rehabilitation of the DZUP tower.

In cooperation with Anakbayan, the USC Community Rights and Welfare committee (USC CRAW) held regular meetings with Village B residents to consult them and to offer any help that the USC can provide. Meanwhile, the USC also submitted a letter last April 16, 2008, addressed to Prof. Rose Feliciano of the Broadcast Communication Department of the College of Mass Communication requesting for pertinent documents regarding the DZUP project. In the letter, the USC stated the reasons for such request:

We are humbly requesting your kind office for copies of pertinent documents relating to the project, so that we may study carefully the context, the facts, and the justifications for its various implementations, and that we may fairly dispense to our constituents and to the university community our stand and position with regards to the issue, and the action that we shall be taking.

A few days after, when the USC and the CMC Student Council (CMC SC) followed up on the status of the request, the involvement of these student institutions in community affairs was questioned. Nevertheless, we asserted that these community issues are also students’ concerns, and therefore, demand action from the USC and CMC SC.

Last April 28, 2008, a dialogue between the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs with the CMC administration and Village B residents, with the USC, College of Arts & Letters Student Council (CAL SC), CMC SC, and All-UP Workers Union transpired with regards to the demolition of Village B to give way for the installment of a new DZUP transmitter.

In the course of the dialogue, the student councils, in order to effectively study the situation and dispense a fair and justified action thereafter, requested a moratorium on the demolition and further asserted for copies of pertinent documents relating to the project. Beforehand, there were already licensed engineers, who volunteered to take part in the study and were already waiting for the copies of these documents.

The request for this documents, however, was turned down. According to the administration, the refusal was due to the reason that such documents are too detailed and technical for the student representatives to acquire and understand.

We would like to express our utter disappointment at this rejection. The matters on hand are matters of interest to the UP community: from the students of CMC, to the residents of Village B, and other similar sectors in our campus facing similar situations and challenges. As the official student representative body, the USC would like to assert its right to information with regards to matters that concern our constituents and the university community. Such documents, as such related to transactions and issues within the premiere State University, must be considered public documents, which should be available to the public for critical scrutiny. Thus, we reiterate our demand for the documents pertaining to the demolition of Village B and the installment of the new DZUP transmitter.

Furthermore, we would also like to reiterate that the USC firmly stands in its principle of giving service and representation to the marginalized sectors of the UP community. We recognize that our university is not an institution exclusively academic. The different sectors are components of our everyday activities in our campus, and therefore, it is important to conscienticize ourselves in their real situations and be integrated with their present concerns. In the present condition where these sectors lack adequate representation to policy and decision-making bodies of our university, the USC pledges to be a student institution that will uphold their democratic rights, alongside of the students’.

We hope that the different offices in our campus find these assertions a move to help in the establishment of a more democratic governance in our university. Let us all work hand together in the pursuit of the interests of our constituents, not as contending sectors, but as one whole UP community.

Respectfully Yours,
University Student Council - UP Diliman

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