UP KILOS NA: Bukas na Liham kay Alfredo Pascual, ika-20 Pangulo ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas

Pebrero 10, 2011

Mahal na Pangulong Pascual,

Pagbati sa inyong pag-upo bilang ika-20 Pangulo ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas!

Makasaysayan ang 2011, ang unang taon ng iyong panunungkulan.

Ika-40 anibersaryo ito ng Diliman Commune, ang mahigpit na pagkakaisa ng pamayanan ng UP Diliman mula Pebrero 1-9, 1971 para ipagtanggol ang kalayaang pang-akademiko ng Unibersidad sa sunud-sunod na pananalakay ng mga pwersang militar at pulis sa kampus.

Sa Mayo 27, 2011, ipagdiriwang din natin ang ika-100 taon ng pagsilang ni Salvador P. Lopez, ang ika-11 Pangulo ng UP na katulad mo ay walang doktorado at isang Upsilonian. Itinuturing naming isang dakilang Pangulo ng UP si Pres. Lopez at minahal ng komunidad ng unibersidad dahil sa pagyakap niya sa demokratikong pamamalakad sa pamantasan at sa matapang na pagtindig niya laban sa mga atake sa mga estudyante at mga faculty ng UP bago at sa panahon ng batas militar.

Uupo kayo pagkatapos ng anim na taon ng panunungkulan ng isang Pangulo ng UP na mas kilala sa pagtaas ng tuition ng 300% , sa mga desisyong hindi tugma sa demokratikong pamamahala ng pamantasan at sa kakulangan ng transparensi sa mahahalagang desisyong administratib at pinansyal ng Pamantasan. Matutuldukan na rin ang ganitong pamamalakad sa antas ng UP System.

Para sa komunidad ng UP, ng mga estudyante, faculty, kawani at REPS, na bumubuo sa UP Kilos Na, nagbibigay ng bagong pag-asa ang pagkahirang sa inyo bilang Pangulo sa ikadalawang dekada ng ikalawang siglo ng ating mahal na Pamantasan.

Hinahangad naming mabigyan mo ng kalubusan ang laman ng iyong vision statement laluna ang sumusunod

• U.P. has the historic commitment of service to the Filipino nation.

• U.P. must observe employment/compensation terms that are fair to all categories of staff. All personnel, whether faculty or staff, have the same need for basic support services (e.g., medical care) and should be provided with similar benefit packages equitably..

• U.P. must also take steps to democratize admission to make it inclusive. It should be possible for college applicants with disadvantaged high school background to be considered for admission. In addition, no qualified students should be allowed to forego a U.P. education simply because of financial reasons.

• A strengthened general education program should enable the students to develop broader perspectives, the values of good citizenship and, hopefully, the bias for serving the country.

• The injunction in the Charter must be kept in mind that funds generated from the University’s properties “shall not be meant to replace, in whole or in part, the annual appropriations provided by the national government to the national university.

• U.P. must preserve its public character for equity reasons. The commitment of the national government to underwrite the cost of a U.P. education is critical for this. U.P. must be a university where students earn their degrees as Iskolar ng Bayan regardless of the economic status of their family. U.P. graduates must feel an obligation to serve the people in return.

• A great university is a model for good governance to the country it serves. The U.P. leadership must observe the principles of democratic governance based on collegiality, representation, transparency, predictability, and accountability. The practice of good governance should be an ongoing commitment. It should become quite critical for significant policy changes which have wide and far-reaching effects. A process of consultation should enable the U.P. leadership to explain the reasons for proposed changes and obtain feedback. Decision making may take a bit longer in the process; however, implementation of changes will likely proceed smoothly.

• In the management of funds entrusted to the University, responsible stewardship and ethical conduct should additionally characterize good governance.

Maasahan mo ang aming pakikiisa at pakikikapit-bisig sa mga patakaran at mga programa ng inyong Administrasyon na magtitiyak sa patuloy na pampublikong katangian ng UP na naglilingkod sa sambayanan at pinatatakbo sa demokratiko at transparent na paraan.

Tagumpay sa iyong anim na taong panunungkulan!


UP Kilos Na

All UP Workers Union
All UP Academic Employees Union

Kasama sa UP
Congress of Teachers and Educators for Nationalism and Democracy-UP (CONTEND-UP)
Staff Regent Clodualdo “Buboy” Cabrera
Student Regent Jaqueline “Jaque” Eroles
Dating Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo