Press Release of UP Staff and Student Regents: UP Board of Regents reopens discussions on naming college after Marcos technocrat

N.B. – This is a joint press release of the Staff and Student Regents on a controversial issue at UP. Please feel free to share. Thank you.

Joint Press Release of the University of the Philippines Staff Regent and Student Regent
31 July 2013

UP Board of Regents reopens discussions on naming college after Marcos technocrat

The University of the Philippines Board of Regents (UP BOR) has decided to reopen discussions on the renaming of the UP Diliman College of Business Administration (CBA) to the Cesar EA Virata School of Business.

At its 1,289th meeting last July 29, the members of the UP BOR agreed to discuss the issue further even if the renaming was already approved last April 12.

According to UP Staff Regent Razel Ramirez, this will allow UP to revisit opinions and expand discussions. “It will also give more time to consider the necessary steps, including the establishment of guidelines in renaming colleges and schools in the university.”

Ramirez made a motion to rescind the renaming of the CBA. In her position paper, she stressed Virata’s role as prime minister during the Marcos dictatorship. This, according to her, is the main reason there is a public outcry over the BOR’s decision last April. She said that Virata supported the Marcos dictatorship until the very end.

She also questioned the claim of the UP CBA Dean that the renaming is the sole concern of the college and the BOR. She said that this sets a dangerous precedent in the university, especially in the absence of clear guidelines. “By allowing CBA to change its name in honor of its supposedly distinguished alumnus, what will prevent the other colleges from changing theirs and on what bases? If a simple change of nomenclature of an academic course requires approval of the University Council (composed of assistant professors, associate professors and full professors), what more the renaming of an academic unit?”

For her part, UP Student Regent Krista Melgarejo said that Virata’s being a loyal technocrat of Marcos is not a good role model for the youth. She said that Article 3.1.2 of the UP Naming Rights Policy approved by the BOR on August 28, 2009, clearly states that the individual “must have sterling reputation or could be looked upon as a role model of the youth.” This policy, however, does not include the renaming of academic units.

“This is yet another case where the university’s soul is being sold in exchange for funding. A clear and present danger brought upon by commercialization schemes resulting from the national government’s failure to provide greater subsidy to education,” she said.

According to Melgarejo, the petition papers signed by many students from the university, including those from the CBA, must not be disregarded. She said that the online petition has more than 500 signatures and comments.

Aside from Ramirez’s position paper and the online petition, the two regents also presented a statement from the UP Alumni Association in America, Inc. President Dr. Romulo Aquino supporting Ramirez’s arguments on the issue. They also furnished copies of the petition paper signed by 13 deans from various UP constituent universities, as well as by former and current UP officials, faculty members, staff members and students.

The BOR is the highest policy-making body of UP.

For verification and more information, please call UP Staff Regent Razel L. Ramirez (0908-591-3737) and Student Regent Krista Melgarejo (0920-645-3953).

Hungry for hummus

(Source: http://tinyurl.com/bjwuyvb)

By AS Bonifacio

Whenever I have a craving for Middle Eastern food beyond shawarma, I hie off to Kazam in Maginhawa Street in Diliman. My previous go-to haven, Al-Fakr, had long been gone from this foodie stretch, so I was happy to find another similar restaurant likewise serving falafel. This dish is popular that even in Al-Fakr back then, it was hard to come by. I’ve been twice to Kazam where they ran out of falafel, which is simply fried chickpeas (garbanzos). Fortunately, as a healthy alternative, Kazam has rather decent hummus, the non-fried version of falafel, basically, just mashed garbanzos with olive oil etc. thrown in.

I have always been disappointed with the hummus served in Metro Manila restaurants, even at the expensive Cyma, which otherwise has delicious offerings. The best hummus I’ve tasted was homemade, and I was even taught how to make it, but it takes a lot of effort. First you boil the garbanzos, and then you mash them in a blender. Well, they can be mashed by hand too. I’ve tried precooked hummus, sold in dried, powdered form, and it was plain yucky.

Thus I was happy to find Kazam set up space sometime in 2012 at the Sikatuna Village side of Maginhawa Street, no. 162, although they were rudely interrupted by street diggings that required closing down for weeks. Finally late last year, they were back, with their sidewalk trimmed down and now sharing a nice balcony space with their neighboring foodspots. Kazam not only offers hummus but other Middle Eastern delights, particularly Persian food, such as keema (ground beef) and kebabs. I especially love their chelo kebabs, grilled meats with a generous serving of buttered rice, grilled tomatoes and onions. They have a protein-rich chelo combination of tenderloin with either beef or chicken. No pork at all.

Their motabal (mashed eggplant) is a bit too salty for me.  The hummus, however, puts the expensive Middle Eastern restaurants to shame, and the added olive oil is not at all stingy. Sometimes I go there just for the hummus alone, with one order needing two orders of pita bread. They have a shawarma variant with falafel and hummus, which I find too rich, carb-wise, but it’s actually a good deal for the price. Last I went, Kazam had a promo of unli shawarma from noon to 3 p.m. daily, but it’s a shame, since I’m not impressed with their beef version.

U.P. Diliman opens New Acquisitions exhibit on February 7, 2013.

The University of the Philippines Diliman, in commemoration of the UP Diliman Month and in celebration of the National Arts Month this February, proudly presents New Acquisitions, an exhibition presenting for the first time new works endowed by artists and friends to the University Art Collection (UAC).

The exhiibit opens Thursday, February 7, at 6 in the evening at the Bulwagan ng Dangal, the University Heritage Museum. Prof. Ruben D.F. Defeo curates the exhibit.

National Artists Napoleon V. Abueva and Abdulmari Asia Imao lead the artists who generously donated their works to the University Art Collectioon. The Joya family gave one work and Senator Edgardo J. Angara donated a sculptural bust done by Imao.

Forty nine artists complete the list, namely: Leo Antonio Abaya, Augusto Albor, Nunelucio Alvarado, Marcel Antonio, Jerusalino Araos, Armand Bacaltos, Pablo Baen-Santos, Grandier Bella, Jeho Bitancor, Benjamin Cabangis, Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, Tomás Javier Calvillo Unna, Norberto Carating, Reynaldo Concepción, Daniel Coquilla, Araceli Dans, Denes Dasco, Dulce Dee, Anton Del Castillo, Norman Dreo, Jes Evangelista, Dakila Fernando, Ofelia Gelvezon-Tequi, Juan Sajid Imao, Toym Imao, Pete Jimenez, Junyee, Lenore RS Lim, Alfredo Liongoren, Julie Lluch, Jesus RW Lozada, Dennis Montera, John Olivares, Mario Parial, Mikel Parial, Gregory Pototsky, Alfredo Roces, Jonahmar Salvosa, Rodolfo Samonte, Jerson Samson, Julius Samson, Popo San Pascual, John Santos, José Danilo Silvestre, Soler, Nestor O. Vinluan, Edwin Wilwayco and Janice Young.

The idea of beefing up the UAC was a brainchild of Professor Defeo who posted in April 2012 on Facebook a clarion call to his artist friends to endow the University Art Collection with landmark works the artists themselves would select. The response was overwhelming.

The works now belong to the University Art Collection. Big or small, they reflect the diverse persuasions of the artistsócelebrating the nobility of the human figure in their constant search for beauty, justice and truth, configuring and distilling from natural forms and occurrences emblems, signs and symbols to concretize imaging as well as other imaginings, or elevating even the most banal to provide fitting platforms for art's often incisive and revelatory commentaries.

The French philosopher and art critic Denis Diderot states: "Happiest are the people who give most happiness to others." This statement is most true and palpable in this exhibition. All the artists included in this collection have generously given more than a fair share of what they do best: their art. In turn, the University of the Philippines proudly presents their works in an exhibition of this scale, affording the artists the opportunity to genuinely share their artistic gifts and ideas with the viewing public at large. They at once become "portraits of philanthropy" as consummate idea whisperer Valaida Fullwood calls them.

In bequeathing to the University of the Philippines works they themselves selected to mark individual milestones in their artistic and professional careers, they have made the institution academically richer in terms of the vivacity of spirit the works construe, the vitality of sensibilities they confront and the vibrancy of styles they celebrate.

Art as donation, performed by the artists themselves and especially endowed to an institution like a university teaching museum, constitutes the highest form of altruism. For indeed, the best way to find oneself, to paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi, is to lose oneself "in the service of others." The very act of donation is a compelling reflection of the artistsí magnanimity to commit their works to deepen and embolden the academic mission of the University as a cultural and heritage repository. That, to say the least, is most rewarding for the institution.

Many of these artists are alumni of this University, who endearingly call UP Naming Mahal their Alma Mater. A few had taught or still continue to teach in the College of Fine Arts. Their coming back to the institution that shaped them to become the celebrated artists they now are is but an endearing gesture and succinct recognition of gratitude. They therefore flesh out what Albert Einstein once pointed out: "It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it."

Works that accrue to a museum collection may be assured of exhibition or "display" possibilities at one point in time, one way or the other, notwithstanding the problematic limited space that beleaguers most museums in the world today. The assurance may somehow satisfy the artists' native craving for exposure, secure in the knowledge that several hundreds of pairs of eyes shall behold their works to give them lasting artistic value.

But more than that, these same works may reference landmarks of thoughts and processes that scholars and academics may point out vis-a-vis specific contexts in the intersticing dialogue of art, life and mind.

With these new acquisitions endowed to the University Art Collection, the University of the Philippines Diliman stands proud to carry on its eminent role as an art patron, with all its attendant privileges, if not awesome responsibilities.

The oil magnate and himself a philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. believes "that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation; every possession a duty."

The University can do no less to permanently preserve all donations in its collection. Aesthetic standards may change over time. Museum caretakers may come and go. Curatorial management of collections may vary. But the University of the Philippines Diliman stands pat to dispatch its role as steward and custodian of the works entrusted her, not to cite the awesome material value they collectively carry. The University commits itself to provide and jostle the aesthetic pleasure of the viewing public, and which the works inherently possess, and thereby ensure that these works are constantly viewed, reviewed and re-reviewed in systematic exhibitions and scholarly discourses to address the changing polemics of Philippine Art History.

Food Review: Café Quezon

By A.S. Bonifacio

This has become an enduring haunt in Sikatuna Village, ever since it opened several years back and many other food joints in the area came and went. Maybe part of its success is its location.  It’s a bit far from the foodie spots gathered at certain parts along Maginhawa Street, which spans three barangays—UP Village, Teachers’ Village, and Sikatuna. The easy-to-find café doesn’t have to compete for attention unlike the busy portion near Magiting Street that leads toward UP campus. Instead, it bookends the other side of Maginhawa, lording it over at Sikatuna, a corner down from Bayantel, and a corner away from Camp Karingal. The location gives you an idea of the usual patrons that fills it especially at lunch, aside from the academic crowd, attracted not only by the free wi-fi (minimum order) but also by the wallet-friendly menu.

As indicated by its name, the café specializes in dishes and ingredients connected to the province of Quezon, and then some. There’s the urbanized version of Quezon’s popular street food, pansit habhab, on a plate and with a fork. The habhab I’ve had at Lucban, freshly-made miki with vegetables, was served on a banana leaf without any utensils, since the pansit is to be slurped straight unto one’s mouth.

You’ll also find Lucban longganisa served for breakfast, with egg and fried rice. It’s not sweet, but garlicky and full of flavor. My favorites are the crispy tapa, deep-fried beef jerky that one drenches with vinegar, as well as the spicy chicken, simply fried with something peppery added, no need to add catsup. Another secret to the cafe’s success is its sweet offerings, such as its unforgettable lemon-lime chiffon cake and its bestseller, peanut butter cheesecake. Some people drop by just to buy them by the slice or whole. Aside from brewed coffee, one can pair the cake slices with salabat, as well as flavored teas by the teapot. It also sells delicacies from Quezon such as puto seko, meringue, uraro biscuits, and even kiping, usually seen adorning Lucban homes during the Pahiyas fiesta.

What I like most about this spot is that it’s a decent, cosy, and affordable refuge, especially in the slow café hours (early afternoons and after-dinner hours, until ten p.m.). It’s an ideal go-to place for a relaxing time with friends, a surprise birthday treat, or a pick-me-up snack all alone.

Is U.P. Diliman Haunted?

The U.P. College of Education
in Diliman, Quezon City

The response  of the Dean of the
U.P. College of Education
To enlarge, click the graphic

Letter request to the Dean
of the U.P. College of Education
To enlarge, click the graphic

Is the University of the Philippines at Diliman (U.P. Diliman) haunted? Anecdotal evidence from the Facebook page, Taga U.P. Diliman ka Kung (TUPDKK) seems to indicate so. The Diliman Diary conducted a content review of the thousands of posts from members (now numbering at approximately 35,000) and there were many anecdotes about paranormal sightings in U.P. Diliman. One of the most frequently cited hub for paranormal sightings was the U.P. College of Education.

The Diliman Diary researched the U.P. library archives and talked to personnel from U.P. Diliman's Office of the Campus Architect, and was able to determine that the Colege of Education and the College of war were the joint headquarters of the Japanese military during World War II, and were never demolished per se, despite all the intense fighting around Metro Manila.

The Diliman Diary requested permission from the Dean of the U.P. College of Education, Dina S. Ocampo to conduct a paranormal investigation during the witching hours (from midnight to three a.m.) at the College of Education, but this request was denied, so as to preserve the good image of the U.P. College of Education.

Significantly, though, the Dean did not deny per se that there were paranormal sightings at the U.P. College of Education.

In the meantime, the Diliman Diary's paranormal investigations are still continuing, and we shall keep our readers updated on every development as they come in.

Why are these trees being cut down on Maginhawa Street?

TREES ALONG MAGINHAWA AVENUE BEING CUT: Photos taken from the Sterten Place area, moving down the street in the direction of Philcoa. As of this afternoon, clearing and construction is ongoing, ending just short of the Roberta's cluster of food joints. - photo courtesy of Dara Redulla.

Spending Christmas in Diliman

It already felt like Christmas inside UP Diliman during the Lantern Parade and even now that everyone seemed to have already gone home to their respective provinces for the holidays, the whole University of the Philippines Diliman is still well-lit. The Oblation Plaza showcases a very large parol  making it the highlight for the campus’ Pag-iilaw 2011.

Photo via up.edu.ph

Although the university is almost empty and all student activities already ended on the 17th, the rest of the Diliman area is still pretty much alive. Restaurants along Maginhawa Street are still bustling with people and places like the infamous UP student hangout Sarah’s is still entertaining quite a number of customers.

For those who are spending Christmas in Diliman and do not want to stay home for noche buena, there are a lot of restaurants along Maginhawa, Matalino and Matatag that you can go to.

Murder at C.P. Garcia, Diliman

A mother and child were murdered in their home along C.P. Garcia Avenue yesterday. The two, Edna Brizuela, 41 and her son Jadi Magsakay, 7 were found dead due to multiple stab wounds, authorities say.

Lito “Jugno” Arsenia, Brizuela’s live-in partner is tagged as the primary suspect. The 39-year-old man and Brizuela reportedly had a fight over Arsenia’s excessive drinking a few days before the murder.

Brizuela’s and Magsakay’s neighbors say they saw Jugno leave the C.P. Garcia home at noon on October 24, about 24 hours before the bodies of the victims were found.

Police told the media that a knife was found at the crime scene. Arsenio could not be found in the vicinity though when police initially looked for him yesterday to shed light to the incident.

A manhunt has already been launched by the Crime Investigation and Detection Unit of the Quezon City Police District. 

Special Advance Screening of Id'nal (MAPUSOK) at U.P. Film Center on November 11, 2011

To enlarge the graphic just click on it.

The advance screening of this film will be shown on November 11, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at the U.P. Film Center, Diliman, Quezon City. Due to insistent public demand, the organizers will be pre-selling tickets on October 16, 2011 (Sunday) at 2:00PM at Magis Academic Mentors (same building as David's Salon and Sweet Inspiration Restaurant infront of Ateneo de Manila University). The whole productions and cast will also have a general meeting. So, if you buy tickets, you will have the chance to meet them in person. The first 10 buyers will get free posters signed by the main actors. Contact: 0917-5511123.

Release Date: February 2012

Genre: Gay Drama

Studio: Ecstatic Entertainment Productions

About: Promiscuity of young urban professionals.

Description: The film explores the complex relationship of two men: a professor and a medical representative. One is faithful, the other is promiscuous due to a haunting past. Theirs is a love that withstood trying circumstances until the final test. A deadly sexually transmitted disease is poised tear the two apart. Will their love prosper or will it wither in the face of death?

Starring: Eirik Cruz, Anton Nolasco, Orlando Sol, TJ Morello, Miguel Alcantara, Mygz Molino, etc.

Directed By: G.A. Villafuerte

Written By: G.A. Villafuerte

Produced By: Ecstatic Entertainment Productions

To enlarge the graphics just click on it

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago's Pick-up lines

U.P. President Pascual updates constituents on latest university developments

By Chanda Shahani

University of the Philippines President Alfredo E. Pascual talked today (August 5, 2011) about his vision for U.P.'s reinventing itself as a full-research university in light of massive budget cuts from the national government in 2012.

Speaking at the "Kapihan with UP President Alfredo Pascual," at 5:00 p.m. today at the Marine Science Institute at U.P. Diliman, with the overall topic, "Research for a better Philippines and ASEAN," Pascual said that he was at the House of Representatives yesterday when he received the bad news from Congressmen that not only would U.P.'s proposed budget be cut, but that it would be even smaller than in 2011.

He said that U.P.'s budget for 2012 would be cut by 800 million to PhP 5,149,619,000 from its figure of PhP 5,949,619,000 in 2011. U.P.'s budget, as well as the budgets of other state universities and colleges (SUCs) are currently lodged with the House Committee on Appropriations where they will undergo deliberations.

U.P.'s budget has been steadily shrinking over several years due to dwindling support from the national government and congress. For the Diliman Diary's analysis on U.P.'s budget cuts, please click here.

"We have ways of coping with this, but we will not sacrifice academic excellence," Pascual said, adding that "they cannot fault us if we contract our student body to retain excellence. I hope we will not reach that situation."

He said that in his original mission statement, he saw that U.P. had to strengthen its impact. In this regard, he said, research was a very important way for U.P. make itself a cut above the rest of the SUCs. However, U.P. had to strengthen its research capabilities, as development was uneven with some schools such as the Marine Science Institute (MSI) and other institutes in the sciences already well-experienced with research while others just remained as teaching schools, imparting existing knowledge without discovering new knowledge.

"Research and development (R&D) is primordial, he said, and acknowledged the ongoing online debate between former U.P. Visayas Chancellor Flor Lacanilao and former U.P. Diliman Chancellor Roger Posadas, both distinguished scientists, who have been debating what the national priority should be in terms of whether basic research will lead to technological progress (Lacanilao) or whether the selective acquisition of the chicken through the reengineering of existing technology as a way to jump start basic research (i.e., the egg) was the way to go (Posadas).

Pascual tacitly admitted that both scientists were correct in their respective arguments, and referred to U.P.'s collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to reverse engineer a monorail system within U.P. campus, while at the same time stressing that it was important for faculty and graduate students to get published in  ISI-referenced journals which were important as gauges of academic excellence.

He stressed that it was important for U.P. to start develop a strong cross-disciplinary capability such that different disciplines could work closely together. "If we just address the problem of the Philippines, we can still be globally relevant, because there are so many developing country and tropical issues that other countries will want to tap our expertise in," he said.

Dr. Edgardo D. Gomez, a Professor Emeritus of U.P. Diliman's Marine Science Institute (MSI) said in the open forum that “their experience could serve as a useful model for other units in the university”; even as U.P. struggles to retain its relevance amidst budget cuts from the national government. He said that President Benigno S. Aquino III is asking MSI to come out with a national coral reef protection program.

Being published in internationally-refereed journals by professors, researchers and graduate students will become the new norm in U.P.


Raul Suarez, a Canada-based Philippine researcher said in PhilScience, a group in Yahoo! Groups, that “The “push” for publication in ISI-indexed journals is a relatively recent phenomenon in the Philippines. As many are aware, the UP now gives its faculty a cash incentive for each ISI-journal article published and such publications are now required for tenure and promotion. In certain graduate programs, the publication of at least one paper in an ISI-indexed journal is a requirement for graduation with a Ph.D. degree.”

Dr. Gomez said that other units can learn from the early experiences of MSI where they learned early on to develop a “psycho-sociological mindset” that made publishing in internationally refereed journals quite natural. “In our case, it's not required to be published. Our experience is that “you come up with the data, you analyze it, and then you publish it,” he said.

The consensus among the forum participants was that the more U.P. research is published in internationally refereed journals, the better known U.P. will become internationally, and the more successful U.P. will be in attracting  funding for its proposals.

The open forum with President Pascual also revealed the following important insights:

•  U.P. can continue to remain relevant by simply focusing on the broad themes of the Millenium Development Goals (MDG) such as food security, nutrition, health, infectious diseases and climate change.
• President Pascual said that an example of U.P. remaining relevant within the context of MDG was a proposal he received from Dr. Rex Victor O. Cruz, the dean of the College of Forestry and Natural Resourcesat U.P. Los Banos for Mt. Makiling to become a laboratory and a regional center for climate change.
• U.P. is now working on a comprehensive communications plan, Pascual said. "U.P. has to get to be known to the rest of the country, as it has so many gems. We should also popularize our research findings in a language that the common man can understand," he said.
• Undergraduate programs result in student enrollment in U.P. where undergraduates constitute 80% of the student population and graduate students constitute 20% of the student population. Pascual said that in more progressive countries, the ratio is 50% to 50%. Pascual said that he would like to see the ratio of graduate students reach 30% by the time his term ends.
• More research is the only way for U.P. to distinguish itself. He said that he was in favor of putting up a research hospital in U.P. Diliman with a capacity of 300 beds which would differentiate itself from the historic mandate of Philippine General Hospital (PGH). The proximity of the research hospital to the colleges such as the U.P. College of Engineering would enable the efficient interaction of the different disciplines in the testing of Philippine-made artificial heart valves or prosthetics, for example.
• Pascual also said that the national government kept on asking U.P. to do research for it, but that U.P.'s overhead charge was only 5% to ten percent of the overall charges. He said that a more appropriate charge was 50%, which is what Harvard and other universities charge. He said that the funds collected from this would go to a pool of funds to support U.P.'s research projects.
• While U.P. would still create "public goods" or the dissemination and creation of knowledge for the good of the community, U.P. also had to engage in commercialization. "Ultimately is the creation of new industries in the country from the creation of research output," Pascual said.
• Some examples of successful commercialization was the PhP 100 million in revenues U.P. Los Banos dervied from its biofertilizer project and PhP 45 million which U.P. Manila will receive in partnership with Pascual Laboratories for its Lagundi project.

(Chanda Shahani is the editor of the Diliman Diary. An A.B. Comparative Literature graduate from U.P. Diliman, he also has a Master's degree in Entrepreneurship from the Asian Institute of Management and is a former business page reporter for the Philippine STAR).

Save UPIS, Save our children’s RIGHT to education.

Editor's note: We are posting the following petition in line with our policy of providing access to those with alternative points of view, and because it discusses many topics that we deem to be relevant to the Diliman community. We hope that at least some of the points will ultimately become points of discussion and debate, which is healthy for the democratic governance of any institution. We note that the previous U.P. Administration railroaded, through its administration-dominated Board of Regents, the approval of the long-term lease of the University of the Philippines Integrated School. Maybe it is this secretive end-of-days approval and the trampling of the U.P. Charter itself (R.A. 9500), which cries out - even if belatedly - for real consultations with all affected sectors before a project of this financial magnitude is implemented, and which has led to a growing body of disaffected U.P.I.S. alumni questioning the project when implementation is about to begin, for no public consultations of any consequence have ever been implemented. It is only with the utmost sensitivity to the feelings of these disaffected U.P.I.S. alumni, that the new administration of U.P. President Alfredo E. Pascual can seek to allay the concerns of the U.P.I.S. alumni.

Large real estate corporations are currently waiting for the Department of Finance to approve the implementing rules for real estate investment trusts (REITs), which allow investors to invest directly in Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE)-listed real estate projects (rather than in the shares of the company itself). Such projects, potentially including the U.P.I.S. project, which will be operated by Ayala Land, Inc. fall within the probable time frame of co-implementation of the U.P.I.S. project and the approval by the DOF of REITs (the estimated period is 2011-2012). Ayala Land, Inc., should it finance this project via REITs, will be dependent on financing derived from large and small investors, and these REITs are themselves vulnerable to losses in share prices, if there are untied loose ends (such as restive and unconsulted sectors who remain unconvinced that this is a good project). Ultimately, it is in the best interests of Ayala Land, Inc. and the new U.P. Administration to make sure that Ayala Land projects are all above board when it comes to the University of the Philippines, because a lack of consultation of the affected sectors not only is in violation of R.A. 9500, but the share prices of Ayala Land, Inc., considered a blue chip stock in the Philippine Stock Exchange, are subject to a pummeling if the investing public, made up of large and small investors, including large foreign investors, sees a large, well-regarded company "slipping" in the all-important area of corporate governance, which under international best business practices, really calls for communities and affected sectors to be consulted properly and respectfully by the project proponents, even if there was no U.P. Charter requiring this.

Please sign this petition if you want to oppose commercialization of our schools and keep our right to education.
All the underlying issues are discussed below.
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This is a petition to our University of the Philippines President, Alfredo Pascual and to our Philippine President Ninoy Aquino.
From concerned Filipino citizens- students and parents alike, speaking in behalf of all the universities in the country.
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Save UPIS, Save our children’s RIGHT to education.


During most of  GMA’s term, 154 out of 264 State Universities and Collegess (SUCs)(1), including  the University of the Philippines(2) were converted from a state to a national university.

Though this may seem like a harmless name change,  this move, a.k.a.“rationalization” is nothing but detrimental to the state of our education.

As a national university,  the school ceases to be a responsibility of the state and is thus tasked to earn money for its keep - making it a money making business(3) rather than an institution in the service of its people.

You may wonder, how such a change could have been allowed by its academic administrators, the guardians of our learning.

In this, you need to follow the money.  For each school converted to a national university, you have to ask- 

"Were those who voted in its favor given special positions as profit recipients of this anomaly?"

"Could a busines-oriented school be so bad?",  you may ask.

Emerlinda Roman, then incumbent UP President reasons that it is a good discipline  for universities to be trained in the realities of business and economics.

Though this may be so,  this is the price we have to pay:

1. NO MONEY,  NO STUDY Education, which used to be the right of every deserving child is now a privilege of the financially capable few.
In UP, the 300% tuition fee increase(4) resulted in the non-admission of 1/3 of its students(5), who, even though passed the academe’s stringent examination, failed the business entity’s financial requirement.

• Take the case of a freshman Chemistry student from a minority group in Cotabato.(6)
  His father, has set aside money from their meagre income  to ensure that his bright son gets a life different from his own.  They were welcomed by a 300% tuition fee increase, which they had to produce in a few days.  Unable to come up with the amount, the son dropped out, downtrodden, dreams of a better life gone.
  A bright mind left to stagnate.  A parent’s strife, rendered futile.

The open slot that he leaves is now taken up by a foreign student(7) who finds the tuition fee, a meager amount compared to what they have to pay in their country(8).
Our gift of education to the world? Or hope denied to our countrymen.

2. FACULTY THINKS MONEY, NOT CURRICULUM
The faculty, now tasked to make ends meet- has business as its primary function rather than how to continuously improve the curriculum.

Faculty meetings are about budgets and ideas on fundraisers while the school syllabus stays stagnant.

3. SOCIALLY IMBALANCED STUDY
Though it is important to propagate courses that support our business infrastructure as Business Administration, Engineering, Law-  courses needed in the positive well balanced development of our country and people are overlooked- as Education,  Fine Arts, Community Development.
The UP School of Education is downsized even as there is a gnawing need for more teachers.  The resulting downsizing of UPIS, a laboratory school that helps UP Ed students, our future teachers in designing a better syllabus, is a direct casualty of this shift in priorities.
Projecting into the future, we will become a consumerist nation, devoid of  social and cultural values that give life its true rich meaning.

4. SCHOOL FOR SALE (9)
Take a tour of UP and you will find that the independent community of old now gives way to advertising.

• All the pebbles of the academic oval are engraved with names of donors.
• The rooms are named after brands and companies who gave a sizeable donation.

Though I commend those who gave financial support to the school, I also believe that true giving is selfless and anonymous.

Time was when we named our edifices after heroes, people who made selfless contributions to higher learning.

Now, we name them after the highest bidder.

This practice has gone to the extreme with the lease of Technohub. 

What was misrepresented to be a science and technology incubator, is now a business and commercial center- rented at a discount of 177Million over 25 years, which is only 8% of fair market value(10) to the school’s preferred business partners.

And now, UPIS…(click here to see Save UPIS video)

• the school, dilapidated as they reasoned, will be transferred to an even smaller, burnt remnant of a residence hall.  A token alm is given, hardly enough for its repairs.
• The students, will be downsized as a result of the uprofitable, deprioritized and downsized Colege of Education
• The sprawling grounds, used to be the site of youth sports activities will be replaced by a commercial mall.

All this, so that UP can add a meager P34Mill/year (11), a tiny drop to the P12Bill budget deficit that the government cannot provide.

Can the Philippine government REALLY not provide?

UP needs P18 Bill in 2011 to function but it only received P5.5Bill, a further decrease of P1.4 Bill  from the previous year.  (12)

With a total education budget of  2.8% of GDP (2008) (13) , the Philippine government, consistently allots less than half of the prescribed minimum of 6% set by UNESCO Delors Commission for developing countries.

The government,  they say is bankrupt and has no more money to give.  Is it really?

• Pork barrel allowance (including hidden budgetary insertions) is at P87Billion, up by P23 Billion from previous year (14)
• From which GMA, alone as a congresswoman receives P2Billion (15)
• Defense budget, 

Sign the petition here.

Mighty Man - Diliman

Statement of Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez (April 18, 2011)

SENATE RECEIVES ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT: Senate Secretary Emma Lirio Reyes receives the articles of impeachment that will be used against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez from Representatives Niel Tupas, Rodolfo Fariñas, Erin Tañada and Rey Umali. (PRIB Photo by Alex Nuevaespaña)

Press Release

I have been attacked numerous times, though unjustly and without basis. Many of these attacks have been coming not only from my usual detractors but from no less than the President of the Republic himself.

Despite his repeated pronouncements, mostly before graduating students of various schools in Metro Manila, that he is “at war” against me, I have chosen to be silent mainly because I have deep respect to the institution that the President represents.

Despite the open call of the President to impeach me and his calling on the people, especially young students, to support the impeachment proceedings against me, I would not engage him in a word war before the public as this would only demean both of us, especially in this season of Lent.

Just the same, the case against me is now with the Senate. The Senate should be allowed to do its job without any interference or pressure. I have always expressed my willingness to take part in the legal processes because it is the only way the issues raised against me will be resolved.

I am willingly submitting myself before the Senate as an impeachment court not only because I am confident that I will be vindicated in the end but also because the Senate as an institution should be protected against any perceived pressure or partiality.

I have always believed in and strived for the preservation of institutions. Institutions must be preserved and protected and not demeaned and destroyed. Otherwise, we go back to tyranny and dictatorship where the rule of those in power reigns supreme over reason and the rule of law.

Despite all that he has said and done, I maintain my deep respect for the President. 

(Sources: http://www.senate.gov.ph and http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph) 

Some good and not-so-good news regarding Philippine radioactive levels

QUEZON CITY, March 29 (PIA) - The radiation level in the country remains normal from 94 to 118 nSv/hr (nanosieverts per hour) as gathered by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) at the institute grounds today.

Despite the good news, the PNRI is vigorous in checking the radioactivity in the Philippines as radioisotope presence has already been detected in THE country.

On March 23, the PNRI detected iodine-131 at 33 microbecquerels per cubic meter, cesium-134 at 4.2 microbecquerels per cubic meter, and cesium-137 at 5.7 microbecquerels per cubic meter.

On March 26, iodine-131 is now at 20 microbecquerels per cubic meter, cesium-134 at 0.7 microbecquerels per cubic meter, and cesium-137 at 0.7 microbecquerels per cubic meter.

“Environmental radiation monitoring all over the world including the Philippines has detected very tiny amounts of radioactive isotopes which appeared to be coming from the Fukushima nuclear power plant and which pose no human health hazards,” PNRI report said.

The institute also explained that earlier report on extreme high levels of radiation (10 million times normal) appears to be a report error. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has already corrected the report. “Nevertheless, high levels of radiation remain inside the nuclear power plant but pose danger only to the emergency workers,” the PNRI says.

For further advisories, PNRI can be reached through telephone numbers 929-6010 to 19. (PIA-NCR/RJB/DBN)

HOUSE RESOLUTION IMPEACHING MERCEDITAS GUTIERREZ FOR BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC TRUST

By Judy M. Taguiwalo

With a vote of 210 for, 47 against and 4 abstention, the Lower House approved the resolution impeaching Ombudsman Gutierrez. Only 1/3 of the total members of the HOR or 95 votes were needed to pass the resolution. The impeachment now moves to the e Senate where 2/3 or 16 votes  out of the 23 senators aren needed to convict the Ombudsman.

ACT Teachers partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio explained his vote for the impeachment: " Walang aksyon, walang hustisya. Sa wakas, naaaninag na ang araw ng pagtutuos."

RESOLUTION IMPEACHING OMBUDSMAN
MA. MERCEDITAS NAVARRO-GUTIERREZ
FOR BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC TRUST

Introduced by:  Representatives Niel C. Tupas, Jr., Rodolfo C. Fariñas, Reynaldo V. Umali, Romero Federico S. Quimbo, Raul A. Daza, Lorenzo R. Tañada III, Neri J. Colmenares, and Kaka J. Bag-ao

RESOLVED, that Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez, is impeached for betrayal of public trust pursuant to Article XI, Section 2 of the Constitution and that the following Articles of Impeachment be exhibited to the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines by the House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines in its own name and that of the Filipino people against said Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against her.

ARTICLE I

THE FERTILIZER FUND SCAM

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez violated her constitutional and statutory duties, as protector of the people, to act promptly on complaints against public officials or employees of the government and enforce their administrative, civil, and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the Government to the people, and has betrayed the public trust by inexcusably failing (1) to act promptly on the complaints filed and (2) to file the appropriate cases in court against high ranking government officials involved in the anomalous use of the Php728 Million “Ginintuang Masaganang Ani” (GMA) Program or the “Fertilizer Fund Scam”.

Notwithstanding the filing of complaints and the findings and recommendations in the Task Force Abono Reports in 2006, the Senate Committee Report No. 54 in 2006 and the Commission on Audit to file the appropriate charges against then Agriculture Secretary Luis “Cito” Lorenzo and then Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante, among others, Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez has inexcusably failed to act promptly on the complaints pertaining to the “Fertilizer Fund Scam” for more than five (5) years and failed to file the appropriate cases in court. This is contrary to the Ombudsman’s duty to give priority to complaints filed against high ranking government officials and/or those occupying supervisory positions, and complaints involving grave offenses and large sums of money and/or properties.

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez has acted in a manner that violates her oath and constitutional duty, has undermined the integrity of her office, has brought disrepute to the Office of the Ombudsman, and has acted in a manner contrary to the Constitution, law and justice, to the prejudice and manifest injury of the Filipino people rendering her unfit to continue in office.

Such conduct of Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez warrants her conviction for betrayal of the public trust, and removal from office and disqualification to hold any office under the Republic of the Philippines.


ARTICLE II

EURO GENERALS SCANDAL

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez violated her constitutional and statutory duties, as protector of the people, to act promptly on complaints against public officials or employees of the government and enforce their administrative, civil, and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the Government to the people, and has betrayed the public trust by inexcusably failing to file the appropriate cases in court against Philippine National Police (PNP) Comptroller P/Dir. Eliseo De la Paz of the “Euro Generals Scandal,” despite the latter’s public admission under oath of a criminal offense and the findings of criminal liability by various government bodies.

On 15 November 2008, P/Dir. De la Paz, testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and Committee on Foreign Relations, and openly admitted therein that he brought an amount equivalent to more than US$10,000.00 outside the Philippines without declaration thereof to the Philippine Bureau of Customs.

Despite the lapse of more than two (2) years from the admission made by P/Dir. De la Paz and the submission to Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez of the findings of the PNP that P/Dir. De la Paz violated laws, as well as regulations of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez has failed to file the appropriate cases in court against P/Dir. De la Paz.

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez has acted in a manner that violates her oath and constitutional duty, has undermined the integrity of her office, has brought disrepute to the Office of the Ombudsman, and has acted in a manner contrary to the Constitution, law and justice, to the prejudice and manifest injury of the Filipino people rendering her unfit to continue in office.

Such conduct of Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez warrants her conviction for betrayal of the public trust, and removal from office and disqualification to hold any office under the Republic of the Philippines. 


 ARTICLE III

THE MEGA-PACIFIC DEAL

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez violated her constitutional and statutory duties, as protector of the people, to act promptly on complaints against public officials or employees of the government and enforce their administrative, civil, and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the Government to the people, and has betrayed the public trust by absolving from any criminal liability the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) officials and private individuals involved in the anomalous billion-peso contracts for the automation of the 2004 elections known as the “Mega Pacific Deal”.

Notwithstanding the findings of the Senate and the Supreme Court in Information Technology Foundation of the Philippines, et. al. vs. Commission on Elections et. al. (GR No. 159139, January 13, 2004), that “COMELEC and its officials concerned must bear full responsibility for the failed bidding and award, and held accountable for the electoral mess,” Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez has absolved from any criminal liability the COMELEC officials and private individuals involved in the “Mega Pacific Deal”.

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez has acted in a manner that violates her oath and constitutional duty, has undermined the integrity of her office, has brought disrepute to the Office of the Ombudsman, and has acted in a manner contrary to the Constitution, law and justice, to the prejudice and manifest injury of the Filipino people rendering her unfit to continue in office.

Such conduct of Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez warrants her conviction for betrayal of the public trust, and removal from office and disqualification to hold any office under the Republic of the Philippines.


ARTICLE IV

NBN-ZTE DEAL

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez violated her constitutional and statutory duties, as protector of the people, to act promptly on complaints against public officials or employees of the government and enforce their administrative, civil, and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the Government to the people, and has betrayed the public trust by using the powers of her high office, personally and through her subordinates and agents, to wrongfully exclude President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from investigation and absolve her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, a former classmate of the Ombudsman, from criminal prosecution stemming from the scandalous NBN-ZTE broadband contract (the “NBN-ZTE Deal”).

Notwithstanding the evidence presented before the Office of the Ombudsman implicating former COMELEC Chairman Benjamin Abalos, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Romulo Neri and Jose Miguel Arroyo, the Office of the Ombudsman indicted Benjamin Abalos and Romulo Neri but absolved Jose Miguel Arroyo in the NBN-ZTE Deal, and displayed gross incompetence by inexcusably failing and refusing to investigate President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez has acted in a manner that violates her oath and constitutional duty, has undermined the integrity of her office, has brought disrepute to the Office of the Ombudsman, and has acted in a manner contrary to the Constitution, law and justice, to the prejudice and manifest injury of the Filipino people rendering her unfit to continue in office.

Such conduct of Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez warrants her conviction for betrayal of the public trust, and removal from office and disqualification to hold any office under the Republic of the Philippines.


ARTICLE V

ENSIGN PHILIP PESTAÑO CASE

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez violated her constitutional and statutory duties, as protector of the people, to act promptly on complaints against public officials or employees of the government and enforce their administrative, civil, and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the Government to the people, and has betrayed the public trust, personally and through her subordinates and agents, by failing to act promptly and by wrongfully absolving the Philippine Navy officers and personnel implicated in the death of Navy Ensign Philip Andrew Pestaño, notwithstanding the findings and recommendations of the Senate Committees on Justice and Human Rights and on National Defense and Security, and the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

The eventual dismissal of the Pestaño case, coupled with the delay in resolving the same, which led to the issuance by the United Nations Human Rights Committee of its Views declaring that the Philippine Government violated its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), manifests that Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez has abandoned the Ombudsman’s statutory and constitutional duties, has undermined the integrity of her office, has brought disrepute to the Office of the Ombudsman, has acted in a manner contrary to her oath, the Constitution, law and justice, and has betrayed the public trust, to the prejudice and manifest injury of the Filipino people, rendering her unfit to continue in office.

Such conduct of Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez warrants her conviction for betrayal of the public trust, and removal from office and disqualification to hold any office under the Republic of the Philippines.


ARTICLE VI

LOW CONVICTION RECORD

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez violated her constitutional and statutory duties, as protector of the people, to act promptly on complaints against public officials or employees of the government and enforce their administrative, civil, and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the Government to the people, and has betrayed the public trust by her dismal performance, as shown among others, by the Office of the Ombudsman’s low conviction record, manifesting a level of incompetence and inefficiency amounting to a dereliction of duty.

Upon assumption by Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez as head of the Office of the Ombudsman in December 2005, the conviction record for Ombudsman-conducted prosecutions has declined, highlighted by her performance in 2008 up to the filing of the impeachment complaints, and even includes a high number of plea bargaining agreements entered into by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez has acted in a manner that violates her oath and constitutional duty, has undermined the integrity of her office, has brought disrepute to the Office of the Ombudsman, and has acted in a manner contrary to the Constitution, law and justice, to the prejudice and manifest injury of the Filipino people rendering her unfit to continue in office.

Such conduct of Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez warrants her conviction for betrayal of the public trust, and removal from office and disqualification to hold any office under the Republic of the Philippines.

Adopted,


NIEL C. TUPAS, JR.
Chairman
Committee on Justice

RODOLFO C. FARIÑAS                  

ROMERO FEDERICO S. QUIMBO

REYNALDO V. UMALI                  

RAUL A. DAZA

LORENZO R. TAÑADA III              

NERI J. COLMENARES

KAKA J. BAG-AO


(Judy M. Taguiwalo is the former Faculty Regent of the University of the Philippines. She is currently a professor of the College of Social Work and Community Development at U.P. Diliman)

Magnitude 5.4 earthquake hits Mindoro on March 21 while it measures 3.0 in Quezon City

An intensity 5.4 earthquake on the Richter scale hit Mindoro on March 21, 2011 with this seismic event being felt as far away as Quezon City and the rest of Metro Manila, where it measured 3.0 on the Richer scale, according to the United States Geological Survey (see: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0002804.php#summary).

A staggering 159 earthquakes ranging from intensity 1.9 to 6.1 on the Richter scale hit various provinces in the Philippines from January to this point in March of 2011, according to the USGS website, which cited data from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

To say that the Philippines, like Japan is earthquake-prone would be an understatement, to say the very least.

As part of our public service to the Diliman and Quezon City areas, we are reposting our article as to what to do during an earthquake. We posted this article on March 26, 2010, as when an earthquake measuring intensity 6.0 on the Richter scale hit Mindoro on that same date, and where it was measured at intensity 4.0 on the Richter scale in Quezon City (see: http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/03/public-service-announcement-intensity.html).

Allvoices.com: UP ITTC, University of the Philippines Diliman: Pioneering Training and Job Opportunities In Information Technology

"The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair Ester Albano Garcia favored and endorsed the establishment of the IT Education and recruitment Center that the University of the Philippines S&T Park set up for funding by the Japanese Government under JICA, Japan International Cooperation Agency Grant Aid Program."

"By August of 2001, the Academe submitted to the Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Project Proposals, concept papers for the UP IT Training Center under Japan's Cooperation Agency (JICA) Grant Aid Program for the establishment an IT Training Center at the University of the Philippines in Diliman to hone and upgrade the IT the skills of Filipinos in sofware Engineering and embedded systems."

"The UPITTC Project was presented by UP President Francisco Nemenzo to the Philippine IT council in Malacanan and became a priority project of the Japanese Government during the Arroyo administration."

Read the rest here: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8477759-up-ittc-university-of-the-philippines-diliman-pioneering-training-and-job-opportunities-part-ones-in-information-technology

UP-Ayala TechnoHub in Diliman is a family dining destination | loQal - Travel and Outdoors | Philippines

More places for good eats in the Diliman area. loQal.ph recommends the UP-AyalaLand TechnoHub at Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City:

UP-Ayala TechnoHub in Diliman is a family dining destination | loQal - Travel and Outdoors | Philippines

Commentary: Outgoing Roman Administration parties hard even as U.P.'s 2011 budget cut leaves it twisting in the wind

Despised greatly in his day, Emperor Nero

is shown here fiddling as Rome burns in A.D. 64

(Source: http://tinyurl.com/69msulk)

Talk about fiddling while Rome burns.

Even as the University of the Philippines continues to reel from a massive budgetary shortfall in 2011 engineered by the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III, outgoing U.P. President Emerlinda R. Roman, accompanied by 20 U.P. System officials from Manila will be feted on February 4, 2011 in a testimonial ceremony at U.P. Mindanao, at taxpayer's expense.

An embedded source said that the cost of the festivities is expected to reach PhP 100,000.00 alone for President Roman's testimonial ceremony. The source said the U.P. System officials are billeted in Davao City's Marco Polo Hotel.

To put it bluntly, this is nothing short of obscene. But perhaps this amount is peanuts for U.P. Mindanao Chancellor Gilda Rivero, who hosts the ceremony, which is an overall part of U.P. Mindanao's 16th Anniversary Celebration. Chancellor Rivero is perhaps best known for her 2007 expenditure of PhP 643,800.67  for her 2007 investiture ceremonies which was criticized by COA (see: http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/commission-on-audit-criticizes-up.html).

Chancellor Rivero, however, has appealed COA's report, and no known final ruling yet exists on the matter.

The U.P. Mindanao schedule of festivities is embedded below:

(To enlarge the graphic, just click on it

Source: http://www.upmin.edu.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=623:february-2011-16th-anniversary-of-up-mindanao&catid=1&Itemid=19)

But the February 4 festivities will not yet be the end of the Outgoing Roman Administration's hard-partying ways, fueled by tax monies collected from millions of diligent and hard-working Filipinos. On February 9, 2011, 7:30 pm at U.P. Diliman's University Theater there will be a gala night to bid goodbye and good night to U.P. President Emerlinda R. Roman.

The next day, or on February 10, 2011, Incoming U.P. President Alfredo E. Pascual starts his first day of work. We have higher expectations of Mr. Pascual, and will be covering his six-year term with great interest.

(By the Diliman Diary staff)