UP Kilusan para sa Demokratikong Pamantasan ng Bayan - Press Release and SONA Statement

Embedded below is the UP Kilusan para sa Demokratikong Pamantasan ng Bayan (U.P. Kilos Na)  press release on their State of the Nation Address (SONA) Statement the scans of which are embedded below. Student Council - U.P. Diliman, U.P. Kilos Na is made up of the following groups: Office of the Sectoral Regents, All U.P. Workers Alliance, CONTEND, STAND-UP, Multi-Sectoral Alliance, University:

UP Community Launch Alternative SONA

July 26, on the day of the first SONA of President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" C. Aquino, III members of the UP Community in an alliance called: "UP Kilos Na!" staged an alternative SONA bewailing the current state of the University and calling on Pres. Aquino to address the demands of the UP Community

"We have seen how the UP Administration and the Government have taken the path of a commercialized university with us primary stake holders being at the losing end" laments Ms. Cori Alessa Co, Student Regent

"The University of the Philippines must be retained as the premier public institution of higher learning accessible to qualified but poor students through higher state subsidy" says Prof. Judy Taguiwalo, Faculty Regent and Convenor of "UP Kilos Na!”.

The group will hold their SONA, 8am today hours before Pres. Aquino delivers his in the opening of the 15th session of congress today. They assessed the state of the university alongside that of the education sector under Arroyo and outgoing UP President Roman. They also forwarded the UP Agenda as a challenge to Pres. Aquino.

"He should first and foremost prosecute former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her cohorts in her administration. I fear that with the way P-Noy's (Aquino) appointments are going we will be seeing more of the same thing in his term. We challenge him to take a different path than the previous administration took" says Mr. Clodualdo Cabrera, Staff Regent

"If indeed we are his 'Boss', then this is your boss talking: prosecute Arroyo and her clique, reverse her regressive economic policies, and increase state spending for education, health and other social services" says Mico Maestro, Chairperson of the Student Alliance for the Advancement of democratic Rights in UP (STAND-UP).

(To zoom in on the documents, just click on it)

(Source: UPD-USC Community Rights and Welare Committee Facebook Page)