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).
Showing posts with label Krista Melgarejo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Krista Melgarejo. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Nation-wide candle lighting ceremony for Sendong victims and survivors on December 29, 2011
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| Source: smartparenting.com.ph |
By Krista Melgarejo
BALSA MINDANAO in cooperation with people's organizations and concerned groups will hold a Candle Lighting Ceremony for Sendong Victims and Survivors, tomorrow, Dec 29, 2011 at 5pm in the space fronting Davao City Hall and Unitop Center. Please join us as we remember the dead and the missing, and praying for those struggling with the floods since Monday in various points in Mindanao. Wear black and bring candles.
This is a suggested nationally-coordinated action while others can't really be physically present to render direct services at the site, we have this as our space. Hope that other cities could do the same. Please spread and make this a real simultaneous action nationwide.
Tinawatagan ang lahat na dumalo sa gaganaping Nationally Coordinated Candle Lighting Ceremony sa pangunguna ng BALSA Mindanao, para sa mga biktima at mga survivors ng Bagyong Sendong, bukas, December 29, 5PM sa Timog Circle (World Scout Jamboree Memorial). Mangyari lamang po na magsuot ng ITIM na DAMIT. Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, kontakin lamang si RG sa 0935.881.5619. Salamat po.
(Krista Melgarejo is Vice President - Mindanao for the National Union of Students of the Philippines)
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Commencement Exercises in U.P.
By Krista Melgarejo
Chairperson, UP Mindanao University Student Council 2010-2011
In his article entitled “Parents and Activists”, Constantino used the term commencement instead of graduation, to refer to the moment when one has finished schooling. By definition, the term commencement is synonymous to beginning or start. In this context, we can say that when one finishes his/her formal schooling, he/she must now enter the world that he/she has prepared for four or so years. This is the period of transition wherein he/she now leaves the comforts of the academe in order to face head-on the social realities of his country.
For the past few days, rumors have been spreading like wild fire about an exchange of opinions between two parties regarding a petition urging the University Student Council and other concerned groups not to hold a graduation protest. I’ve already heard rumors about this petition about a month ago, but I was only able to confirm it last week when I finally received the petition.
The USC councilor referred to the blog obviously stated that it was her personal opinion and she was willing to talk to the concerned parties personally because she believed that this internal problem can be solved. But what I still do not get is why people keep demanding answers from the council without even attempting to send us a letter for the dialogue. Please, do let us know if you want to talk. The office of the USC is always open.
First, let us talk about the essence of a protest action or what we’d like to call as the “rally”. What is a rally? A rally, or what I would rather call as a mass action, is the highest form of parliamentary struggle. This is the venue wherein people like you and me and other oppressed sectors champion our rights and welfare. It is in this form that we have reinstated important student institutions and protected our basic rights from the bourgeois class, who continue to dominate the economic and political scene.
Second, what is the function of the “rally”? Basically, the rally is always a political activity, a venue to convince people to join the cause we’re fighting for. Activists don’t just do that because they were automatically programmed to do it. Constantino says, the youth (or activists, for that matter) are materialists, rather than idealists for the reason that the movement was out of a material basis. It is in the current social conditions that have driven the social movement onward and progressing throughout the years.
Third, rallies are far different from riots. Rallies have a specific objective (ie. Highlight a specific campaign or call) while riots are mere activities in order to create chaos. Rallies are forms of expression, a right that is provided in our 1987 Philippine Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights while riots do not. Thus, relatively, rallies are peaceful compared to riots.
Fourth, mass actions, like what has been stated before, are political activities. But such activities can take on various forms, and be used in different ways. Mass actions have not only been a venue in order to campaign against anti-people policies or anti-people personalities, but they have also been used to let people heed the call of a certain cause, like serving the people. Again, the office of the USC is always open. We are ready to clarify this issue with the parties concerned.
The commencement exercises in the University of the Philippines have been a tradition, usually with the call upon the graduates to serve the people. No, it is not upon the activists’ objective to ruin the graduation rites. Rather, such form of mass action takes the meaning of the term “commencement” to a higher level of analysis. A call upon the graduates to become a hero of the masses, to be somebody who’s willing to change the society, to be somebody who’s willing to take the masses’ cause to a higher level. As Antonio Tagamolila puts it, the youth can use their intellect to serve the masses or let it be used by the ruling classes. What path do we choose? It’s either change or go with the status quo.
Hypothetically speaking, if such were to happen again in UP Mindanao, I am in no place whatsoever to trample the right of any Filipino citizen to freedom of expression. That’s why I cannot promise you to stop anyone from doing so. You’re addressing the wrong body. Remember, my mandate as the USC Chairperson goes beyond that of the studentry, we also have our obligations to the Filipino society. I may be the student representative, but there are, what we call limitations. Think of it like this, when a student is found guilty for cheating in an exam beyond reasonable doubt, should the student representative still defend that student?
What about my right to a peaceful graduation? Don’t I deserve that? Now I pose these questions: Doesn’t the farmer deserve his right to claim the land he tills? Doesn’t the worker have the right to call for a higher wage? Doesn’t the youth have the right to free education? I’m not saying that just because their rights have continually been violated means that I have the right to ruin your graduation. The tradition of the graduation protest in UP has become a means to challenge the graduating class to defend the rights and forward the struggle of the society who have supported your schooling in the university. As former chief justice and now UP Board of Regents member Reynato Puno said during the commencement exercises in UP Manila last 2008, "To be from UP is to accept a sacred trust of leadership and service to the people." It’s not a mere return of investment to them. Rather, being part of this society, it’s your moral obligation to do so.
As Marx puts it, “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it.” If serving the people was what the social conditions called for during the 1970’s, such call is all the more relevant today. As more and more members of our society continue to suffer the harshness of poverty and injustice, shall we continue to ignore their call?,
(Source: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150209128573338)
Chairperson, UP Mindanao University Student Council 2010-2011
In his article entitled “Parents and Activists”, Constantino used the term commencement instead of graduation, to refer to the moment when one has finished schooling. By definition, the term commencement is synonymous to beginning or start. In this context, we can say that when one finishes his/her formal schooling, he/she must now enter the world that he/she has prepared for four or so years. This is the period of transition wherein he/she now leaves the comforts of the academe in order to face head-on the social realities of his country.
For the past few days, rumors have been spreading like wild fire about an exchange of opinions between two parties regarding a petition urging the University Student Council and other concerned groups not to hold a graduation protest. I’ve already heard rumors about this petition about a month ago, but I was only able to confirm it last week when I finally received the petition.
The USC councilor referred to the blog obviously stated that it was her personal opinion and she was willing to talk to the concerned parties personally because she believed that this internal problem can be solved. But what I still do not get is why people keep demanding answers from the council without even attempting to send us a letter for the dialogue. Please, do let us know if you want to talk. The office of the USC is always open.
First, let us talk about the essence of a protest action or what we’d like to call as the “rally”. What is a rally? A rally, or what I would rather call as a mass action, is the highest form of parliamentary struggle. This is the venue wherein people like you and me and other oppressed sectors champion our rights and welfare. It is in this form that we have reinstated important student institutions and protected our basic rights from the bourgeois class, who continue to dominate the economic and political scene.
Second, what is the function of the “rally”? Basically, the rally is always a political activity, a venue to convince people to join the cause we’re fighting for. Activists don’t just do that because they were automatically programmed to do it. Constantino says, the youth (or activists, for that matter) are materialists, rather than idealists for the reason that the movement was out of a material basis. It is in the current social conditions that have driven the social movement onward and progressing throughout the years.
Third, rallies are far different from riots. Rallies have a specific objective (ie. Highlight a specific campaign or call) while riots are mere activities in order to create chaos. Rallies are forms of expression, a right that is provided in our 1987 Philippine Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights while riots do not. Thus, relatively, rallies are peaceful compared to riots.
Fourth, mass actions, like what has been stated before, are political activities. But such activities can take on various forms, and be used in different ways. Mass actions have not only been a venue in order to campaign against anti-people policies or anti-people personalities, but they have also been used to let people heed the call of a certain cause, like serving the people. Again, the office of the USC is always open. We are ready to clarify this issue with the parties concerned.
The commencement exercises in the University of the Philippines have been a tradition, usually with the call upon the graduates to serve the people. No, it is not upon the activists’ objective to ruin the graduation rites. Rather, such form of mass action takes the meaning of the term “commencement” to a higher level of analysis. A call upon the graduates to become a hero of the masses, to be somebody who’s willing to change the society, to be somebody who’s willing to take the masses’ cause to a higher level. As Antonio Tagamolila puts it, the youth can use their intellect to serve the masses or let it be used by the ruling classes. What path do we choose? It’s either change or go with the status quo.
Hypothetically speaking, if such were to happen again in UP Mindanao, I am in no place whatsoever to trample the right of any Filipino citizen to freedom of expression. That’s why I cannot promise you to stop anyone from doing so. You’re addressing the wrong body. Remember, my mandate as the USC Chairperson goes beyond that of the studentry, we also have our obligations to the Filipino society. I may be the student representative, but there are, what we call limitations. Think of it like this, when a student is found guilty for cheating in an exam beyond reasonable doubt, should the student representative still defend that student?
What about my right to a peaceful graduation? Don’t I deserve that? Now I pose these questions: Doesn’t the farmer deserve his right to claim the land he tills? Doesn’t the worker have the right to call for a higher wage? Doesn’t the youth have the right to free education? I’m not saying that just because their rights have continually been violated means that I have the right to ruin your graduation. The tradition of the graduation protest in UP has become a means to challenge the graduating class to defend the rights and forward the struggle of the society who have supported your schooling in the university. As former chief justice and now UP Board of Regents member Reynato Puno said during the commencement exercises in UP Manila last 2008, "To be from UP is to accept a sacred trust of leadership and service to the people." It’s not a mere return of investment to them. Rather, being part of this society, it’s your moral obligation to do so.
As Marx puts it, “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it.” If serving the people was what the social conditions called for during the 1970’s, such call is all the more relevant today. As more and more members of our society continue to suffer the harshness of poverty and injustice, shall we continue to ignore their call?,
(Source: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150209128573338)
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