A Tribue to Given Grace Cebanico

Editor's note: We will be updating developments on the case of the murder of U.P. Los Baños student Given Grace Cebanico. Readers may get updates to this case at this link.

Eggplants destroyed by Greenpeace activists at U.P. Los Baños, but group is apprehended by University Police Force

(Pictures 1 to 4: A Greenpeace Philippines “decontamination unit” removes Bt talong (eggplants) growing in field trials at the U.P. Los Baños. Picture 5: A security officer from the Bureau of Plant Industries removes a sign calling attention to hazards posed by genetically-engineered Bt talong. Photos courtesy of Greenpeace Philippines.)

BAY, Laguna - The academic and scientific community of the Philippines, represented by the National Academy of Science and Technology, expressed indignation on the February 17, 2011 attack made by Greenpeace Philippines on the Bt eggplant field trial in the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) – the first time a research project was assaulted in the more than 100-year history of the revered University’s campus, according to a press statement released on February 18, 2011 by SEAMEO SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center at College, Laguna.

The anti-biotech group Greenpeace forced entry to the field experiment but only succeeded in uprooting more than a hundred non-transgenic eggplants, which served as pollen traps and check varieties.

It was evident that the group had already planned the uprooting of the whole trial site. According to the press release in Greenpeace’s website, the group moved to “decontaminate” the trial site. They are insisting that the trial is dangerous to the environment and can contaminate local varieties and therefore has to be terminated. But what they mostly accomplished was to uproot the non-Bt eggplant pollen traps, which were planted around the trial to prevent cross-pollination in the first place.

Scientists reprimand rash act

“It is a sad day for Philippine science. Misinformed, misguided people are denying our poor farmers and consumers the benefits of good science,” said National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), and former UP President Dr. Emil Q. Javier.

He also said that the academy denounces and condemns the trespassing, destruction of government property, violation of academic freedom of university, and interference to legitimate activities of the scientific community.

The NAST president reaffirmed the academy’s support, in strongest terms, to the insistent and legitimate activity of the scientific community which is consistent with the national policy of the government on the safe and responsible use of modern biotechnology products.

UPLB Chancellor Luis Rey I. Velasco said that the incident was in violation of the National Biosafety rules and was an affront to academic freedom in UPLB. “Being a University, we promote and are committed to academic freedom. We expect people who adhere to academic freedom and to science to also have equal respect to people who oppose their ideas. We respect opposing views and the views of Greenpeace. And while we do that, we are still bound by the rules and laws of the land,” he said.

Chair of the Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Program Office Dr. Candida Adalla also slammed the attack.

“The DA remains steadfast in its position that the Bt eggplant trial is compliant to all government guidelines and therefore should not be destroyed. I particularly condemn the uprooting of the Bt plants because that is tantamount to stopping the truth to come out. Scientific experimentation is the only means to generate the truth and therefore all scientists should be allowed to conduct independent experiments. I also condemn the act of trespassing because it is a violation of academic freedom and the security of university property,” she said.

Local farmer points out the benefits at stake

Meanwhile, biotech corn farmer from the province of Pangasinan, Ms. Rosalie Ellasus, also expressed regret on the recent intrusion and destruction of the Bt eggplant trial site. She called for the anti-biotech group to consider the benefits at stake and hear the side of the farmers when it comes to what is beneficial for them.

She said that such groups need to understand the true needs of the farmers, and should not rashly take actions.

Ms. Ellasus lamented that the anti-biotech groups would not listen to the scientists. “They [the anti-biotech groups] won’t listen to what biotech experts have to say. Maybe if they would open their minds, even just once, and see the truth, they would know how these crops really benefit our farmers,” she said.

Ms. Ellasus pointed out that biotech corn farmers, which are already more a hundred thousand small-scale Filipino growers, cannot be stopped by the groups from cultivating the biotech crops. “They cannot do anything about it because we farmers have already realized the benefits of biotech corn,” she said.

According to Ms. Ellasus, “many farmers are already anticipating the Bt eggplant seeds. The crop is still under research, and it needs to go through the field trials to generate the data. They (the anti-biotech groups) are making our lives more difficult.”

Legally and fully supported, safe and compliant project

The Bt eggplant project has been consistently complying with all the biosafety conditions prescribed by the Department of Agriculture Administrative Order 8, as set by the national regulatory agency Bureau of Plant Industry. The regulatory assessment of biotech crops in the Philippines is science-based and is considered as a biosafety framework model by other countries. Since 2003, more than a million hectares of biotech corn have been planted in the entire country, and has benefitted more than 125,000 small-scale Filipino farmers.

Bt eggplant is developed through modern biotechnology and has inherent resistance to the most destructive pest-fruit and shoot borer. The project is now on the second season of multi-location field trial for the open pollinated variety (OPV). This very promising technology is expected to reduce the pesticide use and increase farmers’ income. Similarly, it could also provide positive impact to the environment and reduce the health risks associated with the extensive use of chemical pesticides. Farmers, especially those who have benefitted from the adoption of insect-resistant corn Bt corn, are looking forward to the commercialization of this innovative technology.

All the communities and local governments adjacent to the trial site have strongly supported and endorsed the trial.

Illegal entry?

The anti-biotech group arrived at the Bt eggplant field trial site of UPLB at around 6:30 in the morning.

Approximately 20 people, headed by Daniel Ocampo of Greenpeace, forced entry to the experiment by destroying the steel gate with a bolt cutter. Some media practitioners came with the anti-biotech group to document the destruction of the ongoing experiment and for a photo opportunity. Indian nationals wearing Greenpeace shirts were with the anti-biotech group during the illegal activity.

The anti-biotech group was apprehended by the University Police Force and will be facing charges in court.

“The issue now is that these people have violated rules and legal procedures in the University and in the land. Because of their actions, we will have to deal legally with them as an institution,” said Chancellor Velasco.

Greenpeace gives its side

A Greenpeace "decontamination unit" removed genetically-engineered Bt eggplant, locally known as ‘Talong’, from a field trial site in Barangay Paciano Rizal in Bay, Laguna, and sealed the experimental food crop in hazmat (hazardous materials) containers to prevent further contamination of neighboring fields and the environment, Greenpeace Philippines said in a press statement.

The Greenpeace activists were supported by organic farmers from Davao who had participated in a similar operation carried out by their provincial government last year.

“Greenpeace is taking action … to prevent any further contamination from these hazardous genetically engineered crops. This Bt eggplant experiment poses a threat to the environment and to farmers’ livelihoods, aside from violating the spirit of the Organic Agriculture Act. Once these experimental GMOs (genetically modified organisms) flower, their pollen can contaminate both conventional and organic crops, irreversibly damaging them,” said Daniel Ocampo, Sustainable Agriculture campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

“The public has the right to a safe environment and to food sources that are not genetically engineered. If the authorities, such as the DA, fail to uphold those rights, then it becomes legitimate for others to do so,” he added.

Greenpeace has called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to:

• Halt all Bt eggplant field trials in the Philippines and decontaminate all existing field trial sites with immediate effect;

• Implement the Organic Agriculture Act and ban genetic engineering of all food crops in the Philippines.

• To take an active role in supplying sufficient quantity and quality of non-Bt seeds and support organic and ecological agriculture practices.

Bt eggplant field trials commenced in 2010 despite massive protests by farmers and consumers. Of the seven selected trial sites, Davao City, Baybay in Leyte, and Sta. Barbara in Iloilo, have issued municipal and barangay resolutions banning the field trials.

Similar statutes are still in process for Pangasinan, Laguna, Camarines Sur and North Cotabato, where field trials are already underway. Field trials were also conducted in Davao city last October but the plants were uprooted by the local government to uphold a resolution banning the trials.

“Like in India, there is no public support for Bt eggplant field trials and it is just not right for a few GMO proponents to conduct an open experiment that can inflict grave and possibly irreversible risks to an unsuspecting public,” added Shivani Shah, the sustainable agriculture campaigner from India who was on-hand to provide support to local efforts in implementing a shift to sustainable farming practices.

The Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) eggplant is genetically-modified to contain a built-in toxin to kill the fruit-and-shoot borer insect. It is currently not approved in any country including in India where the technology was sourced for use in the Philippines. Last February 2010, the government of India passed a moratorium on Bt eggplant commercialization to protect the country’s agriculture. In its decision, the Environment Ministry said that the science behind Bt eggplant is inadequate to answer the concerns raised by civil society groups, and that the country’s GMO regulatory system is inadequate.

An analysis of India’s Bt brinjal (eggplant) biosafety data by Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini, a French scientist, released in 2009 shows that the GMO eggplant is unsuitable for human consumption. The analysis concluded that Bt brinjal released into the environment, for food or feed, may present a serious risk for human and animal health.

“Greenpeace is urging DA Secretary Prospero Alcala to categorically ban all Bt Eggplant field trials. He has already stated that Bt eggplant will not be commercialized, which renders the field trials irrelevant. Safety concerns on Bt eggplant are still unanswered, and the risks are even more disturbing given the Philippines’ very lax and permissive regulatory systems. Only by halting the further entry and approvals of genetically engineered food crops can the DA achieve its goal of food security and sustainable agriculture in the country,” concluded Ocampo.

Earlier, the Diliman Diary had reported on the leading role that UPLB and U.P. Mindanao were playing in conducting field research on Bt eggplants being grown on a test basis in Davao City. Concerns over potentials of biological contamination impelled the Davao City government to destroy the plants over the protests of U.P. officials (http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/12/davao-revoke-upmin-permit-to-field-test.html). To see the copy of Davao City Mayor Duterte's cease-and-desist order sent to U.P. Mindanao Chancellor Gilda C. Rivero, please see the picture embedded below:

(To enlarge the scan, just click on it)

But even as the scientific debate rages in Davao City and Los Baños over the benefits and pitfalls of genetically modified organisms and the role of the University of the Philippines in furthering such research; the economic logic behind this goes largely undiscussed.

Neither side has so far referred to any big business interests that may be funding such University of the Philippines research on genetically modified organisms, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture.

The references to this are few and scanty, save for a leaked U.S. State Department cable quoting Vatican officials as saying that they and Philippine church officials were deeply concerned about the potentials of such patented biological products leading to the economic exploitation of marginalized farmers in poor countries such as the Philippines (see: http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2011/01/commentary-on-wikileaks-leaked-state.html).

Pascual vows to transform UPLB, other U.P. colleges into green campuses

LOS BANOS, Laguna, Feb. 11 (PNA) – Newly-installed University of the Philippines president Alfredo E. Pascual has vowed to transform U.P. colleges nationwide into green campuses by taking a lead role in national concerns related to forestry and environment conservation.

The new U.P. head said his administration will follow a policy of good democratic governance that subscribes to collegiality, transparency, and accountability.

Pascual also emphasized the need to operate as one in the U.P. System and work with synergy, and to interact and collaborate with each other.

The U.P. president, who assumed office on February 10, was here Wednesday to interact with UPLB officials and attend a forum organized by the students.

Pascual met with UPLB officials led by Chancellor Luis Rey I. Velasco and asked them to inform him of what UPLB needs and its aspirations so that his administration can be relevant. He referred to himself as a chief academic officer to emphasize that the presidency is not a single person but is a management team.

On the initiatives that could be pursued at UPLB, Pascual said UPLB can take a lead role in national concerns that are related to forestry and conservation, citing the Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR) that can be used as an outdoor facility for natural resources, outdoor recreation, and education.

The MFR could be a center for biodiversity research in the region, and to do this, facilities must be established to make full use of the MFR, Pascual added.

In a related development, UPLB gave a tribute to Dr. Emerlinda R. Roman who concluded her term of office as U.P. president on Thursday.

The tribute program began at 4 p.m. with the launching and unveiling of the marker of the renovated Department of Agribusiness Management (DAM) Building at the College of Economics and Management (CEM) Complex.

Dr. Roman, the 19th and first woman president of U.P., allocated P6 million that was used to renovate the DAM Building.

As has been proudly and tirelessly documented, she is a daughter of Los Baños and a true blue aggie, having graduated in 1972 with the degree of BS Agribusiness when UPLB was still the U.P. College of Agriculture.

UPLB Chancellor Velasco said Dr. Roman's term had seen the build-up of the University's endowment through the U.P. Centennial Fund Campaign, the passage into law of the New U.P. Charter, and the establishment of the U.P. North Science and Technology Park along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, among many other achievements.

Velasco said Roman's term witnessed substantial progress in the University's pursuit of its science and technology thrust and equal emphasis on the strengthening of culture and the arts. She masterfully guided U.P. units to become stronger, pushing for a U.P. presence in Makati City and the autonomy of U.P. Cebu.

Davao City Mayor: Revoke UPMin permit to field test Bt eggplant and SPECIAL REPORT: Bt crops: Arguments for and against (2)

Editor's note: The following links give a more complete picture over the destruction of Bt eggplants by the Office of Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte and which are the subject of field experiments by a joint team from U.P. Los Baños and U.P. Mindanao in Davao City.

The issue pits the Academic Freedom of UPLB and U.P. Mindanao scientists to conduct scientific inquiries into improving crop yields in order to help small-scale farmers over the rights of the local government of Davao City to take into account the sentiments of its constituents, some of whom are concerned over the issues of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their impact on the environment as well as concerns about the impact of monoculture of crops in agriculture in favor large-scale cropping areas that tend to favor large-scale agro-industrial enterprises over small-scale farmers. The issue is timely because it compels the University of the Philippines, which has ambitions of becoming a premier world-class research university , to define the nature and scope of the kind of world-class research it hopes to undertake and for whose benefit the research accrues to.

Environmental organizations such as Greenpeace Philippines oppose U.P.'s participation in field trials on genetically engineered (GE) organisms also known as GMOs. “GE crop field trials are experiments that cannot yield any success because they are inherently risky. Bt eggplant field trials will endanger conventional eggplant varieties with irreversible genetic contamination and will eventually threaten farmers’ livelihoods. It will also put at risk the health of Filipinos. No GMO has ever been proven safe for human consumption and the evidence that these organisms pose long-term threats is growing. The Department of Agriculture must listen to provinces who have refused to be part of this folly," Greenpeace said in a press statement last October 29, 2010 (http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph/press/releases/Greenpeace-slams-DA-on-Bt-Eggplant/).

(View of the Field Trial site on Dec. 16, 2010

Source: U.P. Mindanao website (http://tinyurl.com/2u52q6g))

(December 17, Friday, project personnel start 

the removal of the plants in compliance with the Mayor's order)

(City team chop up the plant materials)

Here are the links to the articles:

1.  SPECIAL REPORT: Bt crops: Arguments for and against (2)
2.  Davao: Revoke UPMin permit to field test Bt eggplant

Alfredo E. Pascual: Promises to Keep

(To enlarge the graphic, just click on it.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/2u6nsd5)

U.P. Faculty Regent’s Updates on the October 28 Board of Regents’ Meeting

By Faculty Regent Judy M. Taguiwalo

Faculty Regent’s Updates on the October 28 Board of Regents’ Meeting

October 29, 2010

The regular monthly meeting of the BOR was held last October 28 at Quezon Hall, UP Diliman. Only seven of the 11 board members were present: President Emerlinda Roman, Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, Alumni Regent Gladys Tiongco, Regent Nelia Gonzales, Student Regent Cori Alessa Co, Staff Regent Buboy Cabrera and I. Chair Licuanan and Senator Angara were out of the country on official business. Regent Chua was not present and Malacanang has not named a new Regent in place of Regent Sarmiento who passed away last October 3 in Prague, Czech Republic, where he was visiting his daughter, the current Philippine Ambassador to that country.

Here is my update on significant items of the meeting. Staff Regent Buboy Cabrera said he will make the report on the discussion of the Sagad award and the additional 10 days sick leave benefits for REPS and administrative staff.

1. Search for the next UP President: The November 19 BOR meeting to select the new UP President was reiterated. The interview by the Board of the 11 nominees will be held the day before or on November 18.

2. Faculty Regent Selection process: Vice President for Academic Affairs Amelia Guevara reported to the Board the results of the first round of nomination for the Faculty Regent Selection. The 2011-2012 Faculty Regent will come from UP Los Banos. The top five nominees and their votes during the first round are the following:

Teodoro Mendoza --- 428

Ida Dalmacio ----------- 159

Salvador Catelo ------- 100

Jezie Acorda ------------ 35

Felino Lansigan and Rita Laude ---30

The breakdown per CU of the first round of nomination showed that Dr. Mendoza topped the nomination in all six constituent universities except at the OU where he got one out of four votes.

The names of those going into the second round of nominations (meaning those who accepted the nominations) will be known by the first week of November. The actual voting which will select the next Faculty Regent will be on November 15 to 18, 2010 on the dates specified by the administration of the various CUs.

The rules for this selection prohibit campaigning by the nominees. Deans may however invite the nominees to talk to the faculty if they so desire. It is therefore important for us to read the CVs and vision statements of the nominees once they are uploaded on the UP website for us to make an informed choice of our next representative to the Board of Regents.

1. UP Budget: The P1.39 billion budget cut for the 2011 UP budget remains as of second reading in the HOR. Rep. Angara requested President Roman to submit priority items that may be included when the House committee deliberates on possible insertions to the budget. President Roman said she will do so and emphasized the need for additional MOOE for PGH whose budget has been cut. The budget deliberations will continue once Congress resumes sessions on November 8.

1. Appointments of officials:

Dean, School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS), UPD—Prof. Johann Frederick A. Cabbab

Dean, College of Social Work and Community Development, UPD—Dr. Rosalinda Pineda-Ofreneo

Director, National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, UPD—Dr. Cynthia T. Hedreyda (third term)

5. COA report on the UP Mindanao Chancellor: As I shared with you in my September update on BOR meeting, the concern raised regarding the overspending in the 2007 investiture of the UP Mindanao chancellor was tabled for the next meeting. The Commission on Audit in Davao City in its August 23, 2010 “Report on the Special Audit /Investigation Conducted of the University of the Philippines Mindanao “ found that that Chancellor Rivero had overspent by P269,584.67 or by 72% of the approved budget investiture budget of P374,216. The report ended with the recommendation that the UP Mindanao Chancellor should “ be admonished to prioritize the allocation of its funds on U.P.-Min's mandated purposes.” (For a copy of the August 2010 COA report, please see http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/09/commission-on-audit-criticizes-up.html). The Presidents of the UP Mindanao chapters of the All UP Workers Union and the All UP Academic Employees Union as well as the Chair of the UP Mindanao Student Council wrote “strongly urging” the Board to:

“Let Dr. Rivero personally restitute the excess amount spend during her investiture, amounting to PhP269,584.67. It is clear from the breakdown of this amount that the expenses were extravagant, unnecessary, or personal (i.e., expenses of her guests); Recall Dr. Rivero’s appointment as chancellor of UP Mindanao based on moral integrity and misuse of limited funds; to whom much is given, much is expected in terms of accountability;

Translate “admonish” into specific sanction for Chancellor Rivero.“

President Roman said that Chancellor Rivero had appealed the decision of the COA and the COA Mindanao report has not been officially transmitted to the University. The Board should recognize the right of the Chancellor to due process before taking any action.

1. Implementation of the May 27,2010 BOR decision granting the appeal for tenure of Prof. Sarah Raymundo: Sarah Raymundo remains without any teaching appointment over five months since the BOR decision. The Department of Sociology continues to refuse to prepare her appointment papers. Other options for Sarah Raymundo have been explored but none has led to any possibility that she will be able to teach this second semester.

2. Tenure issue of UP Cebu Professor Roberto Basadre : Prof. Basadre has fulfilled all the requirements for tenure and has been recommended by the UPV Cebu College Academic Personnel Committee for tenure last September 4, 2009. The Dean of the UPV Cebu College overruled the recommendation for tenure on the grounds of the possible reorganization of UP Cebu High School. Instead the waiver rule (extending the temporary appointment of a faculty, usually used to allow time for faculty members’ publication to come out) was used to extend his temporary appointment twice in a row. With the creation of UP Cebu College as an autonomous unit under the Office of the President, the tenure recommendation of the CAPC remains unacted and Prof. Basadre is in danger of losing his teaching assignment when his temporary appointment ends in May 31, 2011. In fact the UP Cebu College Dean wrote that :

I again raised the issue in the October 28 BOR meeting and observed that the creation of UP Cebu College would have as its victim Prof. Basadre. President Roman said she will clarify this with Dean Avila of UP Cebu College.

Other items deferred for future deliberations:

1. The UP Administration recommended that the “computation of the sick leave benefits of those faculty extended beyond age 65 be based on the salary of actual retirement date instead of the salary at age 65.”  The Staff Regent asked for a deferment of approval so that information on the possibility of extending this to administrative staff and REPS could be explored. I also asked for deferment until the information on the names and number of faculty who would benefit from this policy and the financial implication of such extension be provided to the Board. My request for deferment is also based on the fact that the UP Administration has objected (on account of lack of money) to extending to faculty members who have reached the ceiling of their ranks as Assistant Professor or Associate Professor to cross ranks outside of the regular call for promotion. This policy of crossing ranks outside of the call for promotion currently applies only to faculty members who are about to retire.

2. Professor Emeritus: I was provided a copy of the September 24 letter to the UP System Committee on Professor Emeritus written by seven professors of the Land and Water Resources Division of the Institute of Agricultural Engineering regarding the nomination of Dr. Wilfredo David, former UPLB Chancellor, as Professor Emeritus in Agricultural Engineering. That letter also pointed out that the college recommendation “to extend the services of Dr. David for one year beyond the mandatory retirement age of 65 years was not favorably acted upon by the present UPLB administration.”

On October 20, I requested to have this item on the agenda of the BOR meeting. Prior to the October 28 BOR meeting, the OSU provided me a copy of the October 21 letter of Vice President Guevara, who heads the system committee on professor emeritus , to the UPLB professors. In that letter, VP Guevara explained that the “UP System committee evaluates only the nominations endorsed by the Chancellors, upon the recommendation of their respective CU committees on Professor Emeritus”. In the same letter, VP Guevara informed the professors that “Dr. Wilfredo P. David was not nominated by UPLB Chancellor Rey Velasco. In his letter, Chancellor Velasco informed our office that “Four faculty retirees with the rank of full professors were evaluated by the UPLB Committee on Professor Emeritus but the Committee believes that none of them qualifies to be nominated to the prestigious nomination.”

During the BOR meeting, VP Guevara further explained that the Dean of the College to which Dr. David used to be connected did not recommend him for Professor Emeritus. I said that there are several concerns emerging from this issue:

• The need for transparency on the criteria for selection of professor emeritus and the composition of the committee tasked to make the recommendations; (I have been provided a copy of the criteria used by UP Diliman for the professor emeritus nomination but none from UPLB)
• The need to inform faculty members nominated for professor emeritus but who were not awarded the title the reason for such decision. Those nominated for professor emeritus belong to a small group of distinguished professors of the university and they at least deserve to be informed of the reason why they have not been awarded the title.

(Source: http://www.facebook.com/notes/judy-taguiwalo/updates-on-the-october-28-bor-meeting/449346553137) 

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)

Opinion: The selection process for the U.P. Faculty Regent is being railroaded, union officials and several faculty say

(Is the outgoing U.P. Administration

outperforming the Phil. Nat'l Railways

in the fine art of railroading?

Photo source: http://tinyurl.com/2ccll5x)

The Search Process for a new University of the Philippines Faculty Regent may be in danger of being railroaded by the outgoing U.P. Administration, says the All U.P. Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU) and several faculty members, according to the website, U.P. Issues. The issues at hand center on the key demands of the administration of U.P. President Emerlinda R. Roman that the new Faculty Regent, who is set to be elected and subsequently proclaimed on November 26, 2010 and who will be replacing the current Faculty Regent, Judy M. Taguiwalo, not be concurrently a member of a professional organization if a faculty member is appointed or nominated to the position. According to current U.P. practice, the position of Faculty Regent is rotated among different U.P. constituent universities, and this time around it will be the turn of U.P. Los Baños. Regular faculty members (Instructors to Professors) all over the UP system are allowed to nominate and select their Faculty Regent.

Critics are pointing to the untested electronic voting system which is scheduled to undergo a dry run between October 25 to 27. Since the entire system is being run by the U.P. Computer Center which is under the direct jurisdiction of the Office of the University President, there is no independent oversight which creates questions about the outcome of the election. A check of the Primer of the U.P. Faculty Regent Electronic Voting System shows that it is not clear when electronic voting will be allowed or manual voting. There is no clear cut mechanism for appeals in the event of a disagreement or a dispute. The critics are also pointing to the ban on campaigning as another probem, and this has been interpreted as one way of limiting the capability of such unions as the All U.P. Workers Union and the All U.P. Academic Employees Union to field a candidate and if the candidate is elected, to engage in mass actions against objectionable policies of the outgoing U.P. Administration, which typified the term of the outgoing Faculty Regent Judy M. Taguiwalo.

Faculty Regent Taguiwalo says that the discussions regarding the procedures were not even approved formally by the various university councils of the constituent universities before the U.P. Administration declared them as final and executory (http://diliman-diary.blogspot.com/2010/10/faculty-regents-updates-on-september-24.html).

To read the details about the Search Process for a Faculty Regent, please click on this link: http://upissues.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/2010-fr-selection/