Faculty Regent Judy M. Taguiwalo: Why I Voted for Alfredo Pascual

Why I voted for Alfredo Pascual
Judy M. Taguiwalo
Faculty Regent
December 6, 2010

The Board of Regents in its special meeting last December 3, 2010 selected Former Alumni Regent Alfredo Pascual as the 20th President of the University of the Philippines . He garnered the majority of six (6) votes in the first and only round of voting. The voting by all members of the Board, including the Chair, was by secret ballot.

As the UP Faculty Regent, I have always stood for transparency and accountability. For various reasons, not all faculty members, colleagues and friends were in agreement with my decision to vote for Alfredo Pascual. In my November 18 statement issued prior to the originally scheduled day for the selection of a UP President, I stated my criteria for the vote I was going to cast:

My own experience with the Roman administration, especially these past two years as a member of the BOR, has brought home the crucial significance of democratic governance as the prime requirement for the University to move forward. This means transparency, accountability and a consultative mode of governance and being straightforward with data and information. It is also important that appointments, especially for academic positions and administrative positions, should be based on merit not on loyalty or on patronage. It means that decisions made by the Board should be implemented regardless of the President's position, in the rare cases, when he or she is in the minority. It also means recognizing Deans as the prime academic leaders of the various colleges and academic units. It also means equal treatment of faculty and staff for non-academic awards and benefits such as health incentives or sick leave credits. And a President who would work hard to ensure academic excellence and academic freedom and in advancing the public and public service character of the University.

Pascual’s lack of a Ph.D. was admittedly a valid concern, but the “Minutes of the 1182nd Meeting of the BOR held on May 27, 2004” explains why such this qualification was not required: “The President (Nemenzo) said that a Ph.D. would have excluded Presidents Romulo and Lopez who turned out to be good Presidents. There are other ways of establishing oneself.”

Alfredo Pascual’s vision statement posted at the UP website has much in common with the criteria listed above. He emphasized UP’s “historic commitment of service to the nation” and recognized the importance of democratizing admission to the university so that “no qualified students should be allowed to forego a U.P. education simply because of financial reasons”. He is also distinct from the other candidates in articulating a desire for “strengthened general education program” with a bias for relevance and service to the nation and for his stand on fair treatment and equity regarding employment, compensation and social benefits for staff and faculty. Another crucial point is his vow to work for the financial sustainability of UP without compromising its public and academic character. Finally, his understanding of democratic and good governance, based on collegiality, representation, consultation, transparency, predictability, and accountability echoes many of my own personal views.

Pascual also took a stand on many controversial issues which plagued the BOR this past tumultuous year when others, from whom much was expected, either kept silent or spoke belatedly:

1) He voted against the removal of then Student Regent Charisse Bañez who was not allowed to enroll for residency after the registration period and the unjust removal of PGH Director Jose Gonzales;
2) He has been firm about the implementation of a standing BOR decision regarding the two-term limitation for deans and chancellors;
3) He supported nominees for deanship who were highly qualified but who were not endorsed by the UP Administration;
4) He was insistent on the policy that Chancellors should implement the BOR decision that the search process for Deans and Directors ”shall start at least three months before the end of the term of the incumbent”;
5) He voted for providing equitable or relatively equitable benefits on non-academic areas for faculty and staff: e.g. P10T for faculty and P8T for staff versus the P10t and P6t proposal of the UP Administration for the “sagad” award;
6) He voted for the grant of the appeal for tenure by Sarah Raymundo on the basis that the decision to deny her tenure was not based on academic grounds and has supported efforts for the implementation of that May 27, 2010 decision which until now has not been implemented;
7) He saw the need for due diligence in examining proposals from private corporations interested in leasing UP lands and has opposed unsolicited proposals which gave undue advantage to individual corporations.
8) He actively supported our students in the campaign to oppose the proposed P1.39 billion cut in the 2011 UP budget.

We have not, however, always been in agreement in the BOR particularly on two very important cases:

1) He supported the approval of the Faculty Medical Arts Building (FMAB) which provides not only the opportunity for our medical doctors to have limited private practice within the confines of PGH (which I support) but which also establishes a private pharmacy, radiology and laboratory in direct competition with PGH facilities (which I strongly oppose).
2) We were also on different sides regarding the issue of the Economics students who were charged with cheating but who were found guilty “of other forms of misconduct” by the Student Disciplinary Board (SDT). I supported the University Council decision that the graduation of these students be withdrawn and that they be made to serve the penalty of 45 days suspension. The majority of the members of the Board, including Pascual, decided that as cheating was not the official finding made by the SDT, the one-year delay in the issuance of the diploma and transcript of the students was sufficient penalty for them. It was only President Roman and I who differed with the rest of the members of the Board on this issue.

I have no doubt that there will be future issues where the incoming President and I would take opposite sides. But I have some grounds for optimism, based on how he conducted himself in the BOR that he will take positions generally consistent with the vision of a democratic university in the service of the nation, and adopt principles of democratic governance including and especially regarding appointments based on merit and not on fraternal affiliation, loyalty or repayment of debts. Nevertheless, Alfredo Pascual as the UP President starting February 10, 2011 must prove himself through deeds if he can live up to what the UP community expects from its President.

My vote for the UP Presidency was not done without thorough study. I talked to candidates who asked to meet with me. I have also received feedback from faculty members of various UP units. I have studied carefully the candidates' CVs and vision statements, listened to them in all three public fora and participated in the Board’s individual interview of all nominees. I have listened to diverse voices from UP faculty members, alumni and even my own physician, supporting various candidates. But in the absence of a popular vote among the faculty members, a process which has been removed by past UP Administrations, I stand by the choice that I have made. However, I would fully support the institutionalization of a process by which the Faculty Regent’s vote in future selection of the UP President would be determined by the results of a referendum of all faculty members.

I was elected as Faculty Regent with a large majority in the 2008 Faculty Regent selection. I know that those who voted for me did so because of my clear record of advocacy for faculty rights and welfare and my principled positions on university issues and governance as well as on national issues. I have done these regardless of the stand of the UP Administration. I, together with the faculty, staff and students of the University, will continue to be a militant advocate for a democratic university of the people during the watch of the 20th President of the University of the Philippines .

NUSP.org: U.P. Manila-PGH community "prescribed" a notice of strike to fight budget cut to U.P. and PGH

 (To enlarge the picture, just click on it)

 (To enlarge the picture, just click on it)

"In the University of the Philippines- Manila, UP Manila professors, administrators, students, and PGH health workers announced in a press conference today that the UP Manila community will hold its strike on November 25 and 26 to intensify its call to stop the P1.39 Billion UP Budget cut and P114 Million budget cut in the Philippine General Hospital."

Read the rest here: 

NUSP.org: U.P. Manila-PGH community "prescribed" a notice of strike to fight budget cut to U.P. and PGH

(Photos sourced from: http://nusp.org)

2 Phil. Natl Bank- U.P. Branch Employees, 2 others face money laundering charges over University of the Philippines funds

"MANILA, Philippines – Four persons are facing money laundering charges before the Department of Justice (DoJ) for allegedly stealing revolving funds of the University of the Philippines amounting to P25 million, which was placed in a time deposit at the Philippine National Bank (PNB)."

"The four are Rosemarie Ann Pamplona and Evangeline Domingo, both former junior sales and service officers of the PNB-UP Diliman Campus branch; and bank depositors Jaime Santos and Ely Zanda Clemente."

"In a complaint filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the four were accused of conspiring to commit multiple counts of violation of Section 4(a) of Republic Act (RA) 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act through several fraudulent transactions."

Read the rest here:  2 Phil. Natl Bank- U.P. Branch Employees, 2 others face money laundering charges over University of the Philippines funds

Announcement: Anakbayan calls for Nationwide strike on budget cuts for State Universities and Colleges

We are calling on all students, councils and organizations, educators, faculty unions and associations, employees and administrators of state schools nationwide to hold mass protest activities, walkouts, class stoppages and campus strikes starting November 22.

We deem it necessary to hold bigger and more effective actions to express our opposition to the:

• Budget cuts for the operations of 97 state universities and colleges by a total of P1.1 billion,

• Zero allotment of capital outlay for our SUCs,

• Reduction in the scholarship funds of the Commission on Higher Education by P650 million, and

• Inadequate funds for basic education in the Aquino administration’s 2011 budget.

Read the rest here: Anakbayan calls for Nationwide strike on budget cuts for State Universities and Colleges

Diliman Videos of the Week: 1. Dr. Perry Ong talks about Leonard Co, The Scientist and 2. Dr. Perry Ong on News Reports on Death of Leonard Co.

Video 1



Video 2

Commentary: Today we enter the first round of voting for the U.P. Presidency, and the results are anybody's guess

By Chanda Shahani

Comes the hour, comes the next president-elect of the University of the Philippines (U.P.), possibly after the first scheduled round of voting starting today at 9:00 a.m. at U.P. Diliman.

The Diliman Diary has expended a lot of pixels in the past arguing in favor of President Benigno S. Aquino III's replacing three Arroyo-era midnight appointees to the U.P. Board of Regents (BOR); essentially arguing that an uneven playing field was created for the majority of the eleven nominees, considering that the midnight regents had deep ties to the outgoing U.P. Administration, and no particular loyalty to the new Philippine President, considering that they were appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, hence the moniker "midnight regents." The midnight regents were therefore expected to exercise a kind of group think and vote along set lines, which flew in the face of the kind of intelligent independent-mindedness that U.P. graduates pride themselves on possessing.

We are glad that President Aquino has exercised his presidential prerogative to override the renominations by U.P. President Emerlinda R. Roman of former Regents Francis Chua and Nelia Gonzales. Former Associate Justice Abraham Sarmiento was also renominated by President Roman, but this was rendered moot and academic by the Justice Sarmiento's untimely death last October 3, 2010. It is immaterial if the two newly-appointed regents are also Roman nominees - that is - Former Supeme Chief Justice Renato Puno (who replaces former Associate Justice Sarmiento) and former U.P. College of Business Administration (CBA) Dean, Dr. Magdaleno Albarracin, Jr. The other newly-appointed regent is Elizabeth Orteza-Siguion Reyna. All three regents were appointed by President Aquino and took their oaths of office before him yesterday, on November 17, 2010.

As Aquino appointees, the three new regents can be expected to carry out the voting wishes of President Aquino, no matter who nominated them. As independent-minded U.P. graduates, the expectation is that they will also provide a kind of dynamic feedback to President Aquino about which nominee best serves the national interest and deserves their recommendation to him. At the end of the day, no matter how few or many rounds it takes to choose the next U.P. President however, the expectation is that he will commit to avoid choosing a mediocrity, so that the U.P. community will not experience six more years of the kind of failed policies by the current dispensation. It would be a national tragedy if President Aquino did not choose the very best among the candidates, and some of them are very well-qualified, indeed.

The net effect of the Presidential decision to intervene decisively and appoint new regents is that a new element of uncertainty has been injected into what had previously been seen as a foregone conclusion in favor of the personal choice of successor of outgoing U.P. President Emerlinda R. Roman, who used to have absolute control over the majority of the numbers in the BOR. With the insertion of President Aquino's regents and the presence of Commission of Higher Education Chairperson (another Aquino appointee) Patricia B. Licuanan, it is now possible now for President Aquino to influence the outcome of the elections with this many votes at his disposal. This is for the better, because it allows some or even all of the nominees for U.P. President to make their case directly to President Aquino, and allowing him to make up his own mind; degrading the fundamentally undemocratic and monopolistic status quo which relies on a tyranny of numbers to serve the interests of one voting bloc.

So, the Diliman Diary wishes the very best for not only the three new regents, but to all the regents as well, whose total number is eleven. We do not know what criteria the regents will employ in either directly choosing (or in the case of the new Malacanang regents, what criteria they and/or President Aquino will employ in implementing his executive decision as to whom to vote for). However, in our humble opinion, the following qualities would be at the top of the Diliman Diary's list for a good U.P. President:

Character, ethics, decisiveness, great intelligence wedded with intellectual humility, a commitment to speak Truth to Power, a willingness to defend the academic freedom of all, on the merits of an idea, and not on the strength of numbers or more powerful interests alone; a workable vision for the university, and a U.P. President must not only be the head of the Faculty, but also a real scholar, genuine educator, genuinely interested in students, young people and what drives them. Other criteria would be good people skills, some administrative experience and fund-raising capabilities, and financial transparency. The new U.P. President must also embrace and not disown the vision of maintaining the public character of the University; especially now that it is the only National University.

Improvement in other areas such as an improved faculty-to-student ratio, more graduate schools, strengthening U.P. to become a research university are desirable also, and we would expect the winning nominee to be able to possess a defensible action plan to realize this, complete with time line. But most of all, we seek character wedded with an independence of spirit, and an inquiring mind (with the brains to back it up), and a willingness not to favor cronies over the interests of the general good. Lastly, the U.P. President's style must be collegial in nature, and that person has to treat the different sectors as partners and not inconvenient interest groups to be thrown aside after the elections are over. Thus, he or she must not have done anything untoward to antagonize the sectors previously, because this risks him or her having a term as turbulent as U.P. President Emerlinda R. Roman's.

But at the end of the day, once chosen by the BOR, the new U.P. President deserves the critical collaboration of the different sectors (including the leadership of this community weblog). That person will find that history shows that the more successful U.P. Presidents were those who did not rule by edict, diktat, and legal acrobatics but by ethics, reason, true leadership and intelligent persuasion of an independent-minded community. And so as we enter this critical phase in the future of the National University, (and to paraphrase Bill Clinton, who once spoke about the troubles of America), we are confident that, "there is nothing that's wrong with U.P., that can't be fixed with what's right with U.P."

(Chanda Shahani is the Editor of the Diliman Diary)

Floy Quintos' 'Isang Panaginip na Fili' at Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater | The Philippine Star Lifestyle Features Arts and Culture

Ongoing Plays at U.P. Diliman:

Floy Quintos' 'Isang Panaginip na Fili' at Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater | The Philippine Star Lifestyle Features Arts and Culture

UP botanist, 2 others killed in military-NPA clash in Leyte - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

UP botanist, 2 others killed in military-NPA clash in Leyte - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Raul Pangalangan: A plea for public funding for SUCs - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

"WE MUST see state universities not as burdens upon the public coffers but rather as investments in the nation’s future. While the Aquino administration has increased the overall budget allocation for education to 3 percent of GDP, higher than that of the Arroyo administration, state universities and colleges will suffer draconian cuts in their budget—for the University of the Philippines alone, a cut of some P1.39 billion or 20 percent of its budget. There is still time to rectify and revise this, and I address this plea to the Senate and eventually the bicameral conference of the two houses of Congress. We should also find ways, if at all possible, to make poor but deserving students qualify for the Conditional Cash Transfer Program, or parallel programs that can empower poor students to take charge of their lives."

Read the rest here:
A plea for public funding for SUCs - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Dr. Romulo A. Virola, Secretary General, NSCB: What Makes Women Happy?

“One finding from our studies that corroborates what we probably already know, is that the family is definitely a very (if not the most) important source of happiness among us Pinoys. It is therefore important that we preserve the family as the social unit that can bind us together.”

“While we recognize the criticisms against the use of indexes to describe social phenomena, the PHI can be used to help serve this purpose. In addition to the seminars that couples are required to undertake before they can get married, they can fill up our PHI questionnaire so they can understand each other better. They should seriously discuss their answers because if couples know and understand the sources of happiness of their partners, won’t it be easier for them to live with and adjust to each other? But if they find irreconcilable sources of incompatibility that early, they better not take the plunge. Easier said than done? We say nothing wrong with trying! Come to think of it, even married couples can fill up our questionnaires during their wedding anniversaries! If their sources and levels of happiness are converging, wow! No more need to discuss divorce laws! But the first time diverging sources and levels of happiness between two partners show up, a quick trip to marriage counselors is probably called for.”

Read the entire post here: Dr. Romulo A. Virola, Secretary General, NSCB: What Makes Women Happy?

What Bureau of Treasury says about Professor Briones

Prof. Leonor M. Briones served as Treasurer of the Philippines from August 1998 to January 19, 2001. Her two-and-a half years stint with the Bureau of the Treasury is marked with consistent overperformance. In 1998, the Bureau generated P22.53 billion, which almost doubled its target of P11.204 billion.

In 1999, its income reached P26.180 billion or a hefty excess of P3.783 billion over its target. Her flagship project is the Small Investors Program, the main thrust of which is democratization of government securities and empowerment of the small savers. It aims to sell small denominated government securities to small savers or the "ordinary man on the street." Launched in November 1998 with total SIP placement for the year amounting to P8.700 million, total SIP investments for treasury bills reached P694.205 million with 2,598 accounts opened and 8,389 transactions when she left the Bureau.

As Vice-Chairman of the auction committee, Prof. Briones played a vital role in lowering the interest rate. In 1998 the rate of the 91-day treasury bills, which is used as benchmark by banks and other lending institutions in transacting business, averaged only 14.99% notwithstanding the financial crisis that greatly affected the economies of most Asian countries. The national government was able to generate savings in interest payments by as much as P7.896 billion for the year. In 1999 the average 91-day t-bill rate even went lower to 9.98%, which is also lower than the projected rate of 10.50% for that year. This translated to P351 million savings in interest payments for the government.

Other performance highlights of the Bureau during her term include: conduct of various training programs and Special Academic Program to give chance to employees to complete their undergraduate course; improved Information Systems; intensive campaign for collection of unclaimed balances which resulted in the collection of P20.568 million; preparation for the reconstruction of the Ayuntamiento Building; establishment of the BTR Provident Fund; expansion of the BTR Library; revival of the National Treasury Employees' Union (NATREU); and the expansion of Association of Women in Treasury (AWIT) membership.

Source: Past Treasurers of the Philippines. (2003). Available at: http://www.treasury.gov.ph/btrorg/pasttop.html.

Editor's note: This article was sent in to the Facebook Page of the Diliman Diary by the Facebook page of Prof. Leonor M. Briones for UP President last October 22, 2010. In view of continued reader interest in all available information about all the nominees for U.P. President we are posting this in this weblog. We continue to encourage our readers to send in their comments, thoughts and material about all issues to this weblog at: http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/ or http://dilimandiary.com/ or to our Facebook page.

Into the Homestretch: The last and 3rd of the Search for the Next UP President: Nominees’ Fora is held yesterday at U.P. PGH

(The "Oblation" at the entrance to U.P. PGH)

By Chanda Shahani

The last out of the three "Search for the Next UP President: Nominees’ Fora," where the nominees for University of the Philippines (U.P.) President gave their presentations before the public, was held yesterday at the Science Hall at the U.P. Philippine General Hospital (PGH). Ten out of eleven nominees attended yesterday's forum which was beamed live to various UP campuses through the U.P. Open University. Only one nominee, U.P. Diliman School of Economics Professor Benjamin E. Diokno did not attend yesterday’s forum.

(Inside Science Hall, U.P. PGH)

The Diliman Diary is providing an even-handed coverage of the more unique and original remarks of all the nominees today, in their presentations and answers in the open forum, rather than providing an ad verbatim transcript of the remarks, because much of the material presented today was a repeat of remarks made by the nominees in the previous two fora.

The first forum was held on September 20, 2010 at U.P. Los Baños. Readers can read about our coverage of this forum by clicking on the following links: http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/nominees-for-up-president-present.html and http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-details-emerge.html

The second forum was held on September 24, 2010 at U.P. Diliman. Readers can read about our coverage of this forum by clicking on the following links: http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/12.html and http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/ups-problems-are-ventilated-their-own.html

Yesterday’s forum was emceed by Dr. Carmencita Padilla, a professor of pediatrics at the U.P. College of Medicine, with U.P. Manila Chancellor Ramon Arcadio, M.D. giving the welcome remarks. Like in the previous two fora, each nominee’s order of presentation was chosen by drawing lots. Afterwards, there was an open forum.

(Dr. Carmencita Padilla, moderating)

For ease of reference, the Diliman Diary will narrate the presentations of each nominee according to the order in which they were chosen, but will also embed the link to their individual remarks during the open forum alongside the narrated presentation remarks of each nominee. Here is what they said:

1. Cabral, Esperanza I.

Esperanza I. Cabral, M.D. and former Secretary of the Department of Health said that even if U.P. should adhere to high scholarship standards, that it should also "imbue honesty and fairness, tolerance and diversity"in the values it inculcates in its students. She said U.P. needs to have a strategic plan and that in an era of dwindling government sponsorship, it must diversify its finances aside from solely depending on government through fund raising efforst and external assistance. She stressed that appropriations for the faculty must be undertaken as well and she ended by describing U.P. as a democratic community and that if chosen as its leader, she would develop a platform of collective interest and that she would place a lot of stress on developing the human being.

To read the answers of all the nominees in the Open Forum at Science Hall, U.P. PGH, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/32w98c7

2. Pangalangan, Raul C.

Former U.P. College of Law Dean Raul C. Pangalangan zeroed in on the dillemma of U.P.'s being a public university. "What is the place of a public university?" he asked his audience. "People think that there is a kind of social partnership between a public and its university in the case of U.P.," he said, adding that on the one hand a university is made up of scholars who are judged by universal standards set by their peers inside and outside U.P. "On the other hand, U.P. is also a public university that is accountable to its people and it is rarely that these two masters talk to each other," he said. He said that U.P. must also make it a point to be accountable to its people "in the interests of social justice."

If he is chosen as U.P. President, Pangalangan said that he would identiy issues, set options and also present alternative courses of action to the different sectors of the community, indicating that he would adopt a very consultative approach to the job.

He said that as U.P. President he would strive to maintain the symbiotic bond between the academic standards of U.P. and the expectation that it would bring services to the people. However, he said every nation needs a U.P., and that "it is only by improving quality that we can continue to reach out."

To read the answers of all the nominees in the Open Forum at Science Hall, U.P. PGH, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/32w98c7

3. Pascual, Alfredo E.

Alumni Regent (on leave) Alfredo E. Pascual said that if he is selected as the next U.P. President by the BOR, that U.P. could expect to depend on his international exposure which includes several years as a professor of finance at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and an executive at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He said that U.P. should take a leadership role in national development and that he would help in making that a reality.

It is through teaching, research and extension work that the development needs of the country can be met, he said. However, he said that high academic standards should always be maintained throughout, adding that U.P. also needs to reinvent itself to become a true research university.

"U.P. should gear itself to research output in language that people can understand; but it should also undertake a search to finding niches in the research world that it can excel in, such as in scientific research and creative outputs," he said.

Pascual also called for an expansion of U.P.'s graduate program, and also said as far as human resources issues were concerned, that U.P. should observe terms that applied too and not just one category of personnel. Elaborating further, Pascual said there should be an honest-to-goodness incentive program with benefits to all. This statement was met with heavy applause in the fully packed Science Hall.

Pascual said that while he supported the alternative generation of funds beyond a reliance on the National Government for a budget, he was nevertheless against the commercialization of education. He said that extra revenues generated should not replace national government funding but that these should be subjected to control measures and safeguards.

To read the answers of all the nominees in the Open Forum at Science Hall, U.P. PGH, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/32w98c7

4. Diokno Ma. Serena I.

U.P. Diliman History Professor Ma. Serena I. Diokno opened her statement by acknowledging U.P.'s problems. "Dahil sa hirap ng panahon, walang gustong makitang maisatabi ang U.P. Pero, hangad kong makita ang U.P. sa liga ng pinakamagaling."

Diokno, a former Vice President for Academic Affairs of the U.P. System, also made the point that questions of academic merit should be decided upon by departments and colleges, but that abuses of authority should be decided upon by the multi-sectoral Board of Regents.

In the case of employee welfare, she said that if she were selected as U.P. President, that an Ombudsman would be created to deal with government institutions such as GSIS to represent U.P. employees. This Ombudsman would not be a mere liasion but would be tasked to test policies and to propose alternatives for the best interests of U.P. employees.

To read the answers of all the nominees in the Open Forum at Science Hall, U.P. PGH, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/32w98c7

5. Cao, Sergio S.

U.P. Diliman Chancellor Sergio S Cao said that as U.P. President that he would grow U.P. into a research university. He would operationalize this, he said, by having good policies on hiring, tenure and sourcing funds for the different departments and campuses. He said he would also strengthen the graduate programs and improve the quality of laboratories and improve internet access.

As U.P. President he said he would also work to make sure that incentives were granted for more research by faculty and he would also support international collaboration. Given the flexibility granted to U.P. under the 2008 U.P. Charter (R.A. 9500) to raise money, he said he would take advantage of this, but would also make sure that funds were properly used and not misused.

To read the answers of all the nominees in the Open Forum at Science Hall, U.P. PGH, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/32w98c7

6. Teodosio, Virginia A.

U.P. School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR) Professor Virginia A. Teodosio said that "maswerte ang U.P. President sa 2011 dahil malaking tulong ang U.P. Charter upang itaas ang mga pondo." On the other hand, she said, a lot of U.P. Faculty are set to retire soon, and it was impossible to rely on the younger ones who have not made it yet in the worlds of sidelines and consultancies to generate their own supplementary income.

She said that considering it would cost an estimated PhP 50 billion to make U.P. a true research university, then U.P. needed somebody like her who was an expert in generating alternative sources of income. By way of example, she said she was travelling abroad when customs examiners checked the baggage she was carrying and were astounded to find that she was carrying organic coffee and soap made from papayas. "Where can we find these?" she was asked. Teodosio said that there was a big market abroad for items like she was carrying, adding that it was this kind of out-of-the-box thinking that would get results in generating funds for raising the PhP billion to make U.P. a research university. "If as U.P. President, I cannot raise the needed funds, then you can impeach me," she said.

To read the answers of all the nominees in the Open Forum at Science Hall, U.P. PGH, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/32w98c7

7. Briones, Leonor M.

National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) Professor Leonor M. Briones opened her statement by citing the PhP 29 billion allocation for the government's conditional cash transfer program next year, and also for 2011, PhP 20 billion was allocated for the Department of Agriculture and agriculture expenditures, PhP 15 billion for public-private sector partnerships, and PhP 60 billion in unprogrammed funds, "Yet U.P.'s requests for a budget increasde was turned down."

If selected by the BOR as U.P. President, Briones said that she brings to the table "a love of country, a knowledge of numbers and a love of wisdom." But Briones also warned against political upheavals and a loss of democratic rights. She also cited her track record as a former Secretary of the Commission on Audit, and as a former Vice-President for Finance of U.P. Briones also said she left PhP 125 billion with the National Treasury when she was fired from her job by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as National Treasurer for certifying that that ousted former President Joseph E. Estrada had left a budget surplus worth that amount.

Briones said that U.P. Manila, U.P. Diliman and U.P. Los Baños, were the older of the universities which should pave the way for establishing a true research university in both basic and applied research in U.P., with the younger ones such as U.P. in the Visayas, U.P. Mindana, U.P. Open University and U.P. Baguio also making their own efforts.

She said that of the PhP 1.179 billion budget allocated to U.P. for 2011, there were many missing components. For example, she under the U.P. Charter, U.P. was entitled to PhP 500 million under the Centennial Fund, but that it had only received PhP 200 million so far. Paradoxically, Briones said that the National Government was awash with revenue collections such as from the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation as well as funds colected by the Land Transportation Office for motor vehicle registration updates. "These are alternative sources of funds for U.P. that we can tap on top of maximizing our property resources and intellectual properties," she said, adding that "sa totoo lang, may deficit ang ating gobyerno sa pera, pero sa totoo lang, mera pera din na pumapasok."

To read the answers of all the nominees in the Open Forum at Science Hall, U.P. PGH, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/32w98c7

8. Alaras, Consolacion R.

Former Department of English and Comparative Literature Chair Professor Consolacion R. Alaras, wearing a maroon U.P. T-shirt proudly displayed her shirt to the audience and invoked her love of the University. But Alaras also invoked her love of one of the Philippines' Founding Fathers, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, and  pointed out that the approximate location of PGH and U.P. Manila was very near to Luneta, the place of execution of Dr. Rizal.

Alaras, whose style is to essentially jettison almost all references to operational details about how she would conduct herself as U.P. President, said the details were not important unless the primary issue was addressed. "This issue is the spiritual health of the nation, and the moral redemption of the Filipino race. Since I am running for U.P. President, then it stands to follow that if selected, I will stand for U.P. to be the mirror of a moral sacred Philippines."

She said that in all details of governance in U.P., "I stand for equity." She referered to "pamathalaan," or the Sacred Prophetic Politics based on the writings of Dr. Rizal and Ferdinand Blumentritt which would govern her decision making as U.P. President.

To read the answers of all the nominees in the Open Forum at Science Hall, U.P. PGH, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/32w98c7

9. Azanza, Patrick Alain T.

Dr. Patrick Alain T. Azanza, a senior lecturer at the U.P. College of Education fired off his opening salvo by brandishing a white paper that he says was being circulated by unknown persons who emerged from Quezon Hall (the main offices of the U.P. Administration) in U.P. Diliman, questioning his credentials.

"Ganitong kababaw ba ang proseso ngayon?" asked Azanza who has been critical in past fora where he questioned the judgement of officials of the outgoing administration of U.P. President Emerlinda R. Roman for their failure to shed light on financial transactions of university-affiliated foundations such as the University of the Philippines Foundation. He has also made scathing remarks about the Roman administration's failure to get betetr deals for real estate transactions with Ayala Land, Inc. for the U.P.-Ayala Land Technopark along Commonwealth Avenue in Diliman Quezon City.

Azanza said the white paper, authored by unknown persons, questioned his receipt of the Lingkod Bayan Award in 1996, which is the highest award conferred by the President of the Republic of the Philippines to oustanding civil servants in his capacity as the Director of the Human Resources Development Office of the U.P. System and was given on September 13, 1996 on the occasion of the Civil Service Commission in Malacañang. Then-CSC Commissioner Alma de Leon was in attendance in 1996, and Azanza said that she was in attendance also in the PGH forum, leading him to question the dirty tactics of Quezon Hall. "They even got my student number in the white paper wrong," he said, "and it starts with 85," he said.

Azanza then went on to describe a U.P. that had slipped in global rankings. He said that U.P. was # 262 in world rankings, whle Ateneo de Manila University was at a higher # 234. He said that in regional surveys, ADMU was # 58 while U.P. was only # 74. "U.P. must deserve the title of National University," he said, stressing that he would bring his extensive private and public sector experience to bear on serving U.P. if he is selected as U.P. President. Azanza said that he had worked for the Asian Development Bank, and essentially had a direct hand in putting together almost all the modules of the Saint Agustine School of Nursing.

Azanza also said that U.P. must treat its employees more fairly, and mentioned the benefits which were granted by the U.P. BOR but which have not been released by the U.P. Administration which is citing a lack of funds.

Azanza said that if he is selected as U.P. President he would maximize the 30,000 hectares of idle lands within the U.P. System to generate more revenue so that U.P. could take care of its expenses as well as modernize. He said he would accomplish all of this without increading tuition fees or miscellanous fees of the students.

To read the answers of all the nominees in the Open Forum at Science Hall, U.P. PGH, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/32w98c7

10. Velasco, Luis Rey

U.P. Los Baños Chancellor Dr. Luis Rey Velasco, an entymologist, began his presentation by referring to the oft-quoted phrase describing U.P. students as "Iskolar ng Bayan." He said that U.P. should keep the term, but should also add or append to it the term, "Iskolar para sa Bayan," or in other words, U.P. students should be pro-Philippines, pro-people and pro-nation.

If selected as U.P. President, he said he would focus on three main thrusts. Firstly, he said he would strengthen the constituent universities. Secondly, he said he would reorient U.P.'s orientation to become a research university and thirdly, he would also focus on resource generation.

Velasco said that in reality, there were synergies that existed between the different constituent universities. "We should strengthen the CUs in order to democratize access to U.P. education," he said, adding that he was concerned about " Iskos and Iskas with low income." Velasco said that he was in favour of a study-now-pay-later scheme for U.P. students, especially for those in graduate programs.

In an era where students could access a plethora of information "with just one click," Velasco said he wanted to emphasize the development in U.P. students of the ability to process information, to develop critical thinking skills and to internalize the philosphy and methodlogy of the scientific research process.

Velasco said it was important to integrate transdisciplinary research in order to create and innovate, stressing that it is only by strengthening CUs that research can be made more meaningful.

As for resource generation, Velasco said he was against the commercialization of U.P. education.

To read the answers of all the nominees in the Open Forum at Science Hall, U.P. PGH, please click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/32w98c7

The presentation of the eleven nominees vision and programs before the U.P. Board of Regents (BOR) and corresponding interviews is on November 18, 2010 and the election of the new President by the BOR is on November 19, 2010 (first round and possibly more), according to U.P.’s website at: http://up.edu.ph/features.php?i=231

(Faculty Regent Dr. Judy M. Taguiwalo with U.P.

Dept of Mathematics Professor

Dr. Fidel R. Nemenzo after the proceedings
at the merienda prepared by the UPM
administration for the nominees and for other UP personnel)

Readers may also check out the curriculum vitae and vision papers of the eleven nominees by clicking on the following link from the U.P. website: http://www.up.edu.ph/features.php?i=221

(Photo of "Oblation" by Chanda Shahani. The remaining photos are courtesy of Faculty Regent Judy M. Taguiwalo)

(Chanda Shahani is the Editor of the Diliman Diary)

Public Service Announcement: Tuloy ang laban para ibalik ang tama sa UP PGH

Narito ang larawan kuha pagkatapos ng hearing noong Oktubre 6 sa kasong isinampa ni Dr. Jose Gonzales laban sa UP kaugnay ng di makatarungang pag-alis sa kanya bilang Direktor ng PGH. Naroon ang mga kasamahan sa All UP Workers Union ng U.P. Manila-PGH at sina Dr. Ted Mendoza (Pangalawang Pambansang Pangulo para sa Faculty) at si Prop. Lanie Abad (Pangkalahatang Kalihim) ng All UP Academic Employees Union. Kasama namin sa larawan si Atty. Antonio Pastelero, Chair ng U.P. Student Council noong 1969 at mahusay na abogado ni Dr. Jose Gonzalez.

Sa Oktubre 22, Friday, 9 am ang susunod na hearing.

Patuloy nating suportahan si Dr. Gonzales at ang laban para ibalik ang tama sa U.P. PGH.

(Editor's note: the above announcement was sent as a link from the All U.P. Academic Workers Union via Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo. We have posted this in view of its newsworthiness to our readers, many of whom are still following the events at PGH closely. For readers who wish to get a sense of the running narrative involving the role of the Administration of outgoing U.P. President Emerlinda R. Roman in the PGH issue, please click on the following link:

http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/02/day-of-long-knives.html

Students and union members protest at the entrance of NISMED in the September 24 Search for the Next UP President public forum held in UP Diliman

Editor's note: If one picture is worth a thousand words, then the pictures posted below of the protest actions engaged in by U.P. students and union members must be worth several thousand words worth of turgid prose. The following protest action took place in front of the NISMED Auditorium at U.P. Diliman on September 24 and was timed to coincide with the 2nd forum for the 2010 Search for a new U.P. president where the eleven nominees for U.P. president presented their visions and answered questions.

In the spirit of American broadcast jorunalist Edward R. Murrow who deliberately lowered his microphone on a curb so he could convey the sounds and hurried footsteps of people fleeing the bombing of London in the Blitz in World War II, to his listeners back in America, we are embedding below the pictures of the protest action which convey, in graphic detail, the protester's concerns ranging from and which were sent to as a link by Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo and taken from the Facebook page of the All U.P. Workers Union. These concerns are many of which the next U.P. President will have to grapple with; but we will let the placards, the streamers and the expressions on the faces do all the talking below.

(Nominee for U.P. President Consolacion Alaras

strides into the NISMED Auditorium. To
enlarge the pictures, just click on them)

A nominee for U.P. President complains about dirty tactics emanating from Quezon Hall

Editor's note: We have received today an email from Dr. Patrick Azanza, a nominee for U.P. President decrying unprincipled tactics utilized against him by unknown persons who do not like the message he has been conveying in the various fora he has been attending. Entitled, "I hope Diliman Diary will cover the U.P. Law Forum on the U.P. Presidency held this morning at Ambion Hall, U.P. Law," the Diliman Diary is reproducing the email in line our principle of full and balanced longitudinal coverage:

"During the forum I exposed the malicious and desperate moves of a few people resorting to concocted lies to discredit me as a candidate knowing that my campaign for change in UP is gaining ground. Several men walking from Quezon Hall distributing white paper against me printed on a government-sized bond paper were seen by my supporters and gave me a copy of the white paper. It turned out that even during the UP Diliman Forum held at NISMED the same document was being distributed to attendees. The black propaganda is an insult to the intelligence of the UP community and the Board of Regents. It is reminiscent of the dirty tricks done by traditional politicians to discredit their leading opponents. This was resorted to even during the last presidential elections wherein P-Noy himself was victimized. This act which stands to benefit the quarters representing the status quo in the university is an act of mockery and desecrates the sacred process of the search for the next U.P. President. The student regent attended the UP law forum. I also informed the Admin Regent as well as the Philippine Collegian Editor so that dirty tactics such as this which could mislead the members of the UP Board of Regents must immediately be checked by an unbiased person. I trust that the CHED Chairman, the Faculty Regent and the other objective members of the UP Board of Regents will look into this in order to make sure that the search process will remain fair and just.


Thank you.


Dr. Patrick Azanza
Nominee for UP President"

Prof. Leonor Briones's U.N. Speech: "FULFILL YOUR PROMISES"

(Editor's note: In light of the Diliman Diary's policy of providing balanced coverage over time, we are reposting below the speech of National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) Professor Leonor M. Briones regarding the Millenium Development Goals to world leaders in the 2005 World Summit High Level Plenary Meeting of the 60th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The link from which the speech was taken from is the Facebook page of Prof. Leonor M. Briones for U.P. President (http://www.facebook.com/?tid=1472018239607&sk=messages#!/note.php?note_id=121381014582448&id=105231616202962&ref=nf). However, the link itself was emailed by Professor Briones to one of our readers, Lila R. Shahani, who forwarded the link to the Diliman Diary. Ms. Shahani is the sister of the Editor, Mr. Chanda Shahani. The Diliman Diary is encouraging any or all the nominees for U.P. President to email us at dilimandiary@yahoo.com any relevant material in the interests of giving our readers the maximum amount of information regarding their capabilities).

(Facebook page Admin) Five years ago, it was Professor Leonor Magtolis Briones, faculty of the University of the Philippines' National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG), who delivered a strongly-worded statement on the Millenium Development Goals to world leaders in the 2005 World Summit High Level Plenary Meeting of the 60th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. She was selected among the best and the brightest in the world's civil society in a very rigorous selection process on choosing who to speak for and in behalf of them. Here's a copy of her statement:

FULFILL YOUR PROMISES

Statement Submitted to the United Nations General Assembly in behalf of Civil SocietyPresented by Prof. Leonor Magtolis Briones, Social Watch, International Facilitating Group on FfD and Global Call to Action against Poverty.

14 September 2005.

The Millennium Development Goals will not be reached by 2015. This is the assessment of civil society organizations five years after their adoption by the global community of nations. The promises of the Millennium Declaration are not fulfilled; the financial resources identified under the Monterrey Consensus have not all been generated. The leading actions on financing for development which heads of state and leaders of government agreed upon have not been fully implemented.

As a consequence, more than a billion people continue to live in absolute poverty, girl children are not able to go to school; infant mortality rates remain high; mothers still die in childbirth, the HIV pandemic continues to escalate, the environment continues to be devastated, and global issues on trade, on debt and on ODA remain unresolved.

Mobilizing domestic financial resources for development. Developing countries are continually reminded that they are responsible for mobilizing domestic financial resources. But, how can they collect more taxes when their economies stagnate and are stunted because of unfair terms of trade, because of massive debt burdens and structural adjustment programs?

Mobilizing foreign direct investment. We deplore conditionally in structural adjustment programs which compel countries who are unprepared to open their markets and their natural resources to foreign investment.

Developing countries demand that foreign investors should not only exercise corporate responsibility. They need to be transparent in their operations. They have to be accountable to their host countries whose natural resources they exploit for profit.

International trade. Trade is the single most important external source of development financing. Ironically, developing and least developed countries continue to suffer from unfair terms of trade. As poignantly stated by an African official, “You demanded that we faithfully pay our debts, and we did. You asked us to restructure our economies. Our people underwent indescribable suffering but we did it. You even demanded that we change our leaders, and we did. But you refuse to buy our cotton, our cocoa and our other products!”

ODA. Substantial increase in ODA to developing countries has not been achieved. A number of rich countries steadfastly refuse to honor their 30-year commitment to share .7% of their GNP. We ask the General Assembly to remind recalcitrant member countries of this promise.

External Debt. The debt crisis continues to rage in many countries in Asia, in Latin America and in Africa. While the G8 committed to cancel all the debts of eligible HIPCs, countries which are euphemistically described as “middle-income” teeter on the brink of disaster as they struggle with unsustainable debts.

It has been two decades since the last global debt crisis. The babies who have survived are now 20 years old. They still carry the scars of malnutrition, inadequate education and poor health. They have been tragically deprived of the basic capacities for human development.

These countries have been further shaken by natural catastrophes, bad terms of trade, bloodletting and conflict.

We therefore urge the General Assembly to support debt relief for “middle income” countries whose economies have been devastated by natural catastrophes like the tsunami, as well as those with high levels of poverty and debt.

The persistence of debt crises underscores the need to reform the international financial system. We demand transparency and accountability from multilateral institutions. Developing countries voice and vote in the governance of these institutions need to be strengthened.

Follow up of Monterrey Consensus

Gender Equality. We likewise urge the members of the General Assembly to allocate resources to promote gender equality in their respective countries.

Promises, Promises. The heads of state and leaders of governments have made many promises for decades, some of which are the World Summit on Social Development in 1995, the Beijing Conference also in 1995, the G7 meeting of 1999, the Millennium Summit in 2000, the International Conference on Financing for Development in 2002, the Johannesburg Summit, also in 2002, and the G8 Summit in Gleneagles.

Promises, promises. This General Assembly is not the time for more promises. It is time to fulfill old and new promises. The poor of the world cannot wait until 2015. Fulfill your promises!

Commentary and Public Service Annoucement: We believe in the marketplace of ideas, for nobody has the monopoly on Truth

The Diliman Diary has done its best to cover key developments at the University of the Philippines, which we count as being one of the major sources of news to our readers who are primarily interested in relevant news coming from, influenced by or having an influence on events in the Diliman area.

Certainly, important events in the Diliman area would include the 2010 Search Process for a New U.P. President. The Diliman Diary does not pretend to be an online newspaper or a wire service. We do not have the resources of these organizations to provide comprehensive coverage of any event. We are an alternative thrice-monthly blog (although these days we find ourselves covering events more frequently than anticipated due to the fast-moving nature of events) that is opinonated, takes a stand but still tries its level best to follow the blogger's code of ethics (http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/000215.php). We are also dependent, to a certain extent, on information submitted to us by our readers that supplement our own individual efforts at reportage. We welcome submissions that may be the exact reverse or even permutations of our editorial stands for we aim at balanced coverage from a longitudinal perspective, and all viewpoints are welcome and we assure you that we will kill a story not just because we disagree with its contents, but only if will not serve the greater good. However, we draw the line at anything offensive such as hate language, libelous statements or anything that a minor should not hear, view or read.

Editorially, we do not support any particular nominee for U.P. President, but we have been consistent in criticizing heavy-handed attempts by the outgoing U.P. Administration to subvert the creation of a true marketplace of ideas within the Board of Regents (BOR) by interfering with the composition of the BOR itself by perpetuating the terms of the 3 Malacañang midnight appointee regents by renominating them recently when Malacañang asked for NEW nominees. The U.P. Administration nominated them anyway, despite their abysmal voting records, which perpetuated many of the failed policies of the outgoing administration, including the unilateral removal of PGH Director Jose Gonzales, railroading the privatization of portions of PGH despite a legal opinion by the Department of Justice that this was not in accordance to the 2008 U.P. Charter of 2008 among others.

Intervention with Malacañang allows the U.P. Administration to load the dice in their favor so as to help their chosen nominee, as the BOR selects the next U.P. President. Not only is this cheating, but the results of such cheating go far beyond a mere tarnishing of the cheaters' own reputations but end up afflicting everybody: other U.P. nominees who expected a fair contest, U.P. students, alumni and faculty, and the Filipino People, many of whom expect much from the next leader of U.P., and who deserve nothing less than the best possible choice amongst all the eleven nominees for U.P. President. This can only be done if the members of the BOR remain open-minded for as long as possible before they make their choices. What we object to are regents who have already made up their minds from the very get-go, upon strict instructions from the outgoing U.P. Administration who only want one candidate to win (theirs).

The U.P. Adminsitration should include the nominees of the Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo, as well as from other sectors, such as the U.P. Alumni Association (through the Alumni Regent) in its official communication to Malacanang so that President Benigno S. Aquino III has a buffet of choices of nominees to the BOR from which to choose the next three Malacanang Regents.

The Malacanang Regents should be people familiar with U.P. and who will be accountable not just to President Aquino, but to the national interest and the U.P. community as well. Since U.P. is an academic institution, we would expect them to be experts in their fields in order to bring a multi-disciplinary perspective to the BOR. An independent-minded BOR stands the best chance of making the best possible choice for U.P. President, given the fact that there are so many talents now (including the U.P. Administration choices too, by the way) who have accepted the nomination to be U.P. President. If U.P. claims to be a meritocracy, then surely it is the most meritorious candidate, chosen by the BOR, who should make the grade, no matter what "faction" he or she belongs to.

If we allow the BOR to be dominated by one singe interest which produced U.P.'s top academic leader in 2004, then we are setting ourselves up "for six more years of the same failed policies as the outgoing Administration" (with apologies to U.S. President Barack Obama on the administration of former President George W. Bush). Nobody wants six more years of untrammeled mediocrity running the premier national university. The results speak for themselves.

But we digress from the issue at hand. The Diliman Diary believes that our readers, decisionmakers, policymakers, and the members of the BOR benefit from an embarrassment of information which allows them to make up their own minds about who should be the best candidate gto be U.P. President. This is the marketplace of ideas versus the tyranny of numbers, with the former besting the latter (or so we hope). In this respect, we will do our humble bit to add to the stock of knowledge about the nominees to our readers, not only through coverage of the nominees' fora, but by publishing information they send us directly.

For example, we have published an article sent in by one nominee, Dr. Patrick Azanza of the U.P. Diliman College of Education (please see http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/feature-story-dr-patrick-azanza-ict.html) and are also posting the speech of Professor Leonor M. Briones (see above or please click on http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/prof-brioness-un-speech-fulfill-your.html) before the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

We encourage other nominees and their friends and supporters to send in their material as we are an equal opportunity community blog trying to accomodate all the sectors of the Diliman community in its coverage. The Diliman Diary is encouraging any or all the nominees for U.P. President to email us at dilimandiary@yahoo.com any relevant material in the interests of giving our readers the maximum amount of information regarding their capabilities.

We wish all the nominees the best of luck!

Updates to the open forum during the 2nd forum for the Nominees for U.P. President held on September 24 at U.P. Diliman

(U.P. Diliman Dept. of Speech & Theater Arts Prof.

Antoinette B. Hernandez moderated the nominees

forum at NISMED Auditorium, U.P. Diliman)

(Students from U.P. Mindanao protest education

budget cuts online. Other U.P. students protested

online from U.P. Visayas and in person in front

of the NISMED Auditorium at U.P. Diliman)

By Chanda Shahani

The Diliman Diary is uploading details about the question-and-answer portion of the second nominees forum for the search for the next U.P. President held at the NISMED Auditorium at U.P. Diliman, last September 24, 2010.

We attended the forum from out of U.P. Baguio via livestreaming prepared by U.P. Open University and have already uploaded details about the nominees’ presentations proper. For readers who are interested in reading this, please click on this link: http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/ups-problems-are-ventilated-their-own.html

The Diliman Diary also covered the first nominees’ forum held at U.P. Los Banos on September 20, 2010 out of U.P. Manila through livestreaming with subsequent updates on September 21, 2010. Since we are striving to furnish a representative sampling of the nominees’ remarks and positions over an extended period of time, rather faithful reproductions of everything they said in each forum, we encourage our readers to check out our coverage of these by clicking on these links in order to get a holistic appreciation of the capabilities of each nominee: (please click on: http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/nominees-for-up-president-present.html and http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-details-emerge.html) .

Additionally, readers are also encouraged to check out and download the vision statements and curriculum vitae of the eleven nominees for U.P. President from the U.P. website (please click on: http://up.edu.ph/features.php?i=221)

Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo said there was a protest action on September 24 at the entrance of NISMED before the start of the forum. The student activists of Diliman protested only outside the venue and before the start of the public forum as they went to Mendiola in the City of Manila for the national protest against budget cuts in education. Parallel protests were made by the students of UP Mindanao and UP Cebu who held up protest posters during the livestreaming (please see the picture embedded above).

Here is Regent Taguiwalo’s narration of events up to the point of asking questions, which was posted on her Facebook page:

“All eleven nominees were present at the September 24 Public Forum on the Next UP President held in UP Diliman.”

“This time the presentation of the vision statements started with UPLB Chancellor Velasco and ended with Prof. Briones.”

“Where the UPLB forum had only two rounds, there were four rounds of Q and A in the second forum. Two questions, one at the beginning and the other at the end of the forum, were answered by all the nominees and sandwiched in between were individual questions drawn by the nominee from a pool of written questions from Diliman or question from a remote site.”

“Based on the notes I made during the forum, here are the questions raised during the forum.

The common questions were:

What are your plans to make UP a research university?

Ilarawan ang inyong management style kung kayo ang magiging Pangulo ng UP.

The following questions were answered by individual nominees based on the sequence determined by drawing lots. 1) Chancellor Velasco, 2) Prof. Ben Diokno, 3) Prof. Maris Diokno, 4) Prof. Alaras, 5) Prof. Azanza, 6) Prof. Teodosio, 7) Dean Pangalangan, 8) Dr. Cabral, 9) Former Alumni Regent Pascual, 10) Chancellor Cao and 11) Prof. Briones.

1. What is your stand about constructing a mosque in UP Diliman/ UPLB?

2. Apathetic na raw ang mga UP students, ano ang programa ninyo para mahimok ang mga estudyanteng lumahok sa mga pakilos?

3. What has been your greatest legacy to UP based on your last administrative position?

4. In UP Mindanao, some of the faculty members have to resign in order to pursue graduate studies because of the lack of faculty items. What are you going to do to help UP Mindanao obtain more faculty items?

5. From UPV Miag-ao: What are you going to do about the DBM proposed 2011 UP budget cut of P1.39 billion?

6. What policy can be put in place to encourage partnership with the private sector in utilizing the land grants of UP?

7. Today is the 17th year of the inception of Pahinungod, what are you going to do to strengthen volunteerism among the students?

8. How do you plan to address illegal occupancy of UP properties?

9. Is there anything being done or need to be done in the regional CUs that you will continue to do or will do if chosen President?

10. Should you be selected as UP President which strategy presented by other nominees would you adopt? For example, a strategy that addresses the pressing problems of the university such as the budget deficit without unduly burdening the students?

11. Ano ang inyong specific program on women and gender?

Second round of individual questions:

1. Ang ating unibersidad ay nakatuon sa pagtuturo at pananaliksik sa agham at teknolohiya, hindi masyadong nabigyang pansin ang sining. Ano ang iyong gagawin para maiwasto ito?

2. What your plans for informal settlers in UP?

3. Some students need financial assistance in spite of STFAP and scholarships. What are you going to do to address this problem?

4. According to the Constitution, education should be a priority, how do you intend to retain the public character of UP?

5. According to the attrition law, items vacated by administrative staff cannot be filled up leading to deficiencies in administrative staff support to faculty. What do you intend to do to address this?

6. The BOR should defer to the university on academic decisions. What do you think about the case of Dr. Jose Gonzales of PGH?

7. How can you assure the students that in spite of the budget cuts, UP will not transfer such amount to students through higher tuition and other fees?

8. With the autonomy of UP Cebu from UPV, it will be under the office of the UP President. What are you going to do to support the growth of UP Cebu?

9. What steps are you gong to take to develop the particular strengths of UP Baguio? Please give specific answers.

10. Aside from the academic side, do you have plans for the welfare of the students?

11. What do you propose to do with the RGEP?”

To read the answers of the nominees, please click on: http://diliman-diary-sidebars.blogspot.com/2010/09/september-24-2010-open-forum-at-nismed.html

Inconsistent audio quality in U.P. Baguio and a lack of manpower prevented us from providing our readers with the comprehensive coverage we would have wanted for the Q&A part of the open forum. However, we encourage readers who attended any of these fora to send us any updates which we may incorporate into our ongoing coverage of the 2010 Search for the Next U.P. President.

(Photos by: Chanda Shahani)

(Chanda Shahani is the Editor of the Diliman Diary)