UPLB Walkout vs OSA head

UPLB students' demand:

OUST COL. VIVIAN GONZALES, OSA HEAD

University of the Philippines, Los Baños

Sept. 25, 2009 Posted: Oct. 13, 2009

Photos courtesy of UPLB Perspective


Handling a crippled press: UPLB Perspective How Perspective copes with admin’s non-collection Mark Vincent Baracao & Estel Lenwij Estropia & Julienne Urrea The UPLB Perspective has been devising all possible means to cope up amidst the financial dearth caused by the non-collection of student fees since the beginning of the semester. However, the non-collection and the apparent intervention of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) as it refuses to sign the publication’s budget proposal did not limit Perspective in informing the students. Perspective released, however limited both in size and circulation, two special issues and “wall editorials.” At the same time, the publication’s sole manpower, the staff, is conducting group discussions, organization hops and room-to-room visits. Through these alternative information dissemination methods the publication learned that the students are clamoring for more. The Perspective staff was able to get direct feedback from the students who want to have their publication back to its regular operations. It is through this principle that the students and even several academic and administrative personnel warmly donated a few pesos to augment the publication’s lack of fund. Perspective understands the fact that the students deserve more from the publication than what it can already provide. But with the continuous forms of repression orchestrated by the UPLB administration, through the directive of OSA Director and Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Gonzales, Perspective’s role as the official student publication of UPLB is being jeopardized. No words can describe how the non-collection of student fees has worsened the institutional task of the publication to publish newspaper. We say “worsened,” because during the previous terms, it has always been difficult for the Perspective to acquire funds for its many expenses. Disbursement always had to pass through a very stringent process. Hurdles and intervention The non-collection of student fees started with OSA Director Gonzales’ directive dated May 8 notifying Perspective and University Student Council (USC) that UPLB admin will no longer collect the student fees for this semester to enforce “full autonomy” of the two student institutions. Perspective immediately informed Director Gonzales of its stance on the non-collection. The publication firmly believed that: the directive did not undergo democratic consultation with anyone from the publication’s Editorial Board; and the non-collection will only cause more problems that will imperil the publication’s operation than the autonomy it promises. of the expenses as well as photos of the dire condition of the Perspective office and its lack of much needed facilities such as desktop computers, printer, audio recorders, cameras, reference materials and books, office supplies and many others. Any working student publication must have these facilities to perform its tasks. In the absence of such, the Perspective staff had to rely on their personal resources. Afterwards, Perspective sought for a dialogue with Gonzales. Gonzales moved the dialogue several times until it seated with Perspective only to reaffirm her directive. While Perspective sees itself under a worsened condition if the directive will be implemented, Gonzales seems to discount this by teasing Perspective with frivolous statements like “rock on!” and “kolektahin niyo na…babayaran ka (referring to a member of the Editorial Board) naman, mukha ka namang kawawa.” Former Editor in Chief (EIC) Christian Ray Buendia sent an analysis paper to the Office of the Student Regent calling upon its attention on the OSA directive regarding the non-collection. Recognizing the urgency to collect the student fees, Student Regent Charisse Bernadine Bañez brought up the issue of non-collection to the Board of Regents (BOR) and sent an inquiry to the UP Vice President for Legal Affairs Atty. Theodore Te. Financial Status Atty. Te released a memorandum regarding the collection of student fees, which suggests that the UPLB admin withdraw the OSA directive issuing for the non-collection, and pursue with the collection within July. Expecting that UPLB admin submits to Te’s suggestion, the Perspective immediately forwarded to the UPLB admin its budget proposal for the First Semester AY 2009-2010. Perspective fully understands that the non-collection of student fees (of the old students) would not, in any way, affect the disbursement of the publication’s Trust Fund. But OSA verbally informed Perspective that the publication’s budget proposal for this semester will only be approved after Perspective and UPLB admin come up with an interim agreement amenable to both parties. Moreover, Chancellor Luis Rey Velasco, in his letter to Perspective dated July 17, mentioned that the current balance of the Perspective’s Trust Fund amounting to more than P1.3M is “more than enough to run the publication this First Semester, AY 2009-2010 while the acceptable arrangement with the UPLB administration is being resolved.” Velasco also questioned Perspective’s budget proposal and directed the publication to “review its (Perspective’s) plans vis-a-vis its financial status.” Perspective’s budget proposal went more than the amount of the publication’s current Trust Fund because the publication was expecting that the student fees were to be collected in July when the budget proposal was drafted, meaning Perspective was expecting an additional budget of P400,000. Attached with the said budget proposal is a justification The month of July ended. The student fees were not collected. Worse, UPLB admin was not able to sign the publication’s budget proposal. To cope up with the UPLB admin’s futility to act on the matter, Perspective cut down the budget proposal to P1.16M. This was submitted to the Office of the Chancellor on Aug 28. Invalid UPLB admin said in their July 17 letter to Perspective that they “can no longer act on the said agreement in its present form and content.” Velasco pointed that the provision in the interim agreement calling for the collection of student fees “during the registration period” is invalid since the said period of time has already lapsed. He stressed that some of the signatories in the initial Interim Agreement are no longer officially part of the student publication, one of whom is Christian Ray Buendia. Table battle A memorandum, dated Aug 23, was sent by Te regarding the drafting of a new interim agreement. Te suggested in the memorandum that a tripartite interim agreement should be utilized instead of separate agreements for the University Student Council (USC) and the Perspective. Upon receipt, Perspective reviewed Te’s draft and came up with its revised version to stipulate measures that will ensure Perspective’s fiscal autonomy. Perspective presented the revised tripartite interim agreement during the August 26 dialogue with the negotiating panel. Rañola was not aware of the memo and informed Perspective that they were instructed only to discuss with the Perspective matters with regards to its new disbursement scheme beginning next semester. Learning and understanding In the attempt to understand the issue of non-collection, Perspective recapitulated its history in the decades-long student struggle. It is through this where we learned that the non-collection of student fees and other cases of campus repression are deeply associated with the power struggle inside UPLB, which walls are consistently swept with the principles of national democracy and freedom. Therefore, no matter how UPLB admin wraps the non-collection with the robe of motherly intents, the non-collection, as it systematically jeopardizes Perspective’s internal operations, is a clear case of campus repression. Moreover, history showed that subsequent to diplomatic attempts to assert for our legitimate calls, we gain our democratic rights only through militant and collective actions. But, reactions of those powers-that-be are nothing but systematic political repression and persecution. A simple directive as it may be seen on the surface, UPLB admin’s non-collection cannot be divorced from the power relations that are at play in our beloved university. Behind such directive is an interest rooted in the struggle between the present neoliberal education and the student’s collective interest for a free and mass-oriented education. [P] Download The UPLB Perspective in PDF format















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			MGA ISYU NA NAGBUNSOD NG KAMPANYANG PAGPAPATALSIK KAY VIVIAN GONZALES BILANG OSA DIRECTOR Pagkaantala ng Proklamasyon ng Konseho ng mga Mag-aaral. Sa University Student Council (USC) elections noong nakaraang semestre, binalot ng kontrobersiya ang resulta ng eleksyon. Ngunit tumampok ang apat na buwang pagkaantala sa proklamasyon ng bagong Konseho bunsod ng hindi pagbibigay ng agarang aksyon ng Office of Student Affairs (OSA) Director na si Vivian Gonzales bilang Chairperson ng Central Electoral Board (CEB). Hunyo na nang maglabas ng opisyal na listahan ng mga nagwagi ang OSA gayong buong Abril hanggang Mayo ito hinihingi ng nakaraang USC. Di-Pagkolekta ng Student Fees. Sa bisa ng direktiba mula kay Gonzales, hindi kinolekta ng UPLB admin ang student fees. Humiling ang Perspective at USC ng dayalogo kasama si Chancellor Luis Rey Velasco at Gonzales dalawang linggo ang lumipas bago nila hinarap ang mga estudyante. Nagkasundo ang UPLB admin at mga representante ng Perspective at USC na gumawa ng interim agreement para sa koleksyon at disbursement ng pondo ng mga nasabing institusyong pang-estudyante. Ngunit isang araw bago ang registration period ngayong semestre, pirma na lamang ni Gonzales ang hinihintay pero hindi pa rin nito nagawang pirmahan ang nasabing interim agreement. Mga Aberya sa Student Organization Recognition. Bagamat malawak na estudyante, mga building administrator at iba pang constituent departments ng UPLB ang hindi nakaaalam sa OSA Memorandum No. 1, ginamit pa rin ito ni Gonzales bilang rekisito para sa org recognition. Naging malaking sagka pa ang rekisito nitong 15 miyembro, hiwalay pa ang opisyales ng organisasyon, upang kilalanin ng opisinang ito ang mga organisasyon. Pero nang magpatawag ng Centenial Conference si Gonzales ay naghugas-kamay siya sa harap mismo ng mga organisasyon at sinabi na kasama na ang mga opisyales ng organisasyon sa ibinigay na 15 miyembrong rekisito. (tignan “Paghuhugas-kamay sa Centennial Conference”) Kinolektahan ang mga organisayon ng P200 para sa Leadership Training Seminar (LTS) na pangungunahan ng Student Organizations and Activities Division (SOAD) ng OSA, ngunit kinansela ito ngayong semestre, dahilan upang malito ang mga organisasyon. Bagamat maraming organisasyon ang nagpahayag ng disgusto sa mahaba at metikulosong recognition process, isa pa rin sa mga rekisito ng OSA ang LTS (ang iba ay financial report, list of activities, ID picture at profile ng bawat miyembro, atbp.) para sa organisasyon bago ma-recognize. Mayroon pang mga orgs na dahil hindi nakadalo sa pinatawag na pulong ng OSA ay tuluyan nang hindi ni-recognize. Mayroon ding isang org na nagkaroon ng problema sa pangalan nito ang hindi ni-recognize ng OSA sa kabila ng tangkang paglilinaw at pag-aayos ng org na ito ng mga kinakailangang papeles at rekisito. Pag-rerequire para sa UPLB Rewind. Idaraos umano ng OSA ang isang dula na pinamagatang UPLB Rewind. Ni-require ni Gonzales ang mga orgs para sa pagbebenta ng mga ticket ng nasabing dula. Maraming orgs ang umalma dahil sa mga patawag na pulong na OSA ukol rito, nasa tono umano ang OSA ng pag-oobliga at hindi konsultasyon. Ngunit hindi nagbigay si Gonzales ng malinaw na panuntunan kung sakaling hindi sumunod dito. Pagka-antala sa pag-apruba ng budget proposal ng Perspective. Ginamit na dahilan ng OSA ang interim agreement para sa pagrekumenda nito ng budget proposal ng Perspective. Upang mapabilis ang proseso ng pag-apruba rito, nagpadala ang Perspective ng kopya ng budget proposal sa Opisina ng Chancellor (OC) noong Agosto 28. Halos araw-araw nang tumatawag ang Perspective sa OC ngunit panay din nitong sagot na kasalukuyan pa itong dumaraan sa proseso ng pagkukomento ni Dr. Roberto Ranola, Vice Chancellor for Administration, at pagrereview ni Chancellor Velasco. Hanggang ngayon, wala pa ring pondong magamit ang Persepctive. Naglabas ng dalawang ispesyal na isyu ang publikasyon mula sa mga donasyon ng mga estudyante at kawani ng pamantasan. Di-pagtugon sa UPLB Students’ Agenda. Sinimulang buuin ang mga list of general demands ng mga estudyante sa huling kwarto ng termino ng nakaraang Tagapangulo ng USC na si Leo “XL” Fuentes. Mula sa listahang ito, nabuo ang UPLB Students’ Agenda na siyang naglalaman ng mga “demokratikong panawagan at kahilingan” ng mga estudyante mula sa panawagang pagpapabasura ng 300 prosyentong pagtaas ng matrikula hanggang sa panawagan ng mga orgs. Inihapag ito ng USC sa OC noong Agosto 28. Si Dr. Emmanuel Abraham, Assistant to the Chancellor for Alumni Affairs, ang humarap sa USC at hindi ito nagpahayag ng anumang pagtugon, ni aralin o rebyuhin ang mga dokumentong ito. Sa halip na tugunan, dinerekta ng OC ang USC sa OSA para talakayin ang UPLB Student Agenda. Nang ihapag ito sa ginanap na Centennial Conference ng OSA noong Sept. 14, 15 at 17, wala ring kongkretong tugon si Gonzales dito. Ang conference na nabanggit ay konsultasyon diumano sa pagitan ng OSA at ng mga estudyante. Ngunit ayon kay Pamela Angelie Pangahas, kasalukuyang Tagapangulo ng USC, “paghuhugas-kamay” ang ginawa ni Gonzales sa kumperensyang ito. Itinanggi nito ang pagharang ng OC sa permiso ng USC na gamitin ang DL Umali Auditorium para sa dulang Isko’t Iska. Ang Isko’t Iska ay taunang dula ng mga freshman na inilulunsad ng USC katuwang ang iba’t ibang organisasyon. Binansagan pa nito na “misinformed” at “huli na sa balita” ng mga orgs dahil ang pinatupad diumano nito noong org recognition ay 15 miyembro including officers at hindi 15 miyembro excluding officers, bagay na mabilis na pinabulaan ng halos 170 na org members na dumalo sa nasabing kumperensya. Lantarang Pagpapapasok ng mga Tropa ng Militar sa Kampus. Mula nang maupo si Gonzales bilang OSA director, tampok ang presensya ng mga militar sa kampus. Isinagawa pa ang pulong ng Laguna Peace and Order Council sa Student Union Building noong Hulyo 22. Ani Fuentes, kasalukuyang Tagapangulo ng pinakamalawak na alyansa ng mga student orgs sa buong UP system, ang Samahan ng Kabataan para sa Bayan, sa nasabing pulong, binansagang supporter diumano ng mga terorista ang mga progresibong organisasyon at partylist tulad ng KABATAAN Partylist, League of Filipino Students, Gabriela at Anakbayan. Mariin naman itong pinabulaanan ng mga nasabing organisasyon at partylist. Ang Kontrobersyal na Termino ni Gonzales bilang Dean of Students. Marso 3, 1995, unang umupo si Gonzales bilang Dean of Students (OSA director ngayon) bilang appointee ng dating Chancellor Ruben Villareal sa kabila ng kawalan ng demokratikong proseso ng pamimili. Kahit sa unang termino nito’y na-antala rin ang pagpoproklama sa USC. Pinangunahan diumano ni Gonzales ang “play-up” upang pagbawalan ang USC at iba pang orgs sa pagtulong sa registration period. Arbitraryong sinuspindi ni Gonzales noong Enero 13, 1997 ang 11 frat members dahil sa isang rumble sa isa pang kapatiran. Ngunit ani dating Tagapangulo ng USC Jensen Cristobal, hindi ito dumaan sa due process. Arbitraryong binagsak din umano nito ang 73 kadete ng CWS-VIP. Lantaran ding pinagbawalan ng SOAD-OSA ang Perspective na makapagsalita sa Freshman Convocation noong 2000. Hindi rin ni-recognize ng SOAD-OSA noong Hulyo 2000 ang 10 orgs na sumali sa Protest Fair. Nanawagan ang mga mag-aaral noon sa pangunguna ng USC at mga orgs na patalsikin si Gonzales bilang OSA dean. Samantala nanawagan ang Perspective noong 2000 sa “Peryodikit” nito ng “re-orient OSA.” Maaalalang si Gonzales ay naupo bilang OSA director, kapalit ng dating Director Severino Cuevas, sa bisa ng appointment ni Chancellor Velasco sa kabila ng kawalan din ng demokratikong proseso ng pamimili. Ilan lamang ang mga isyung ito ang bumabalot sa pagkakaupo ni Gonzales bilang OSA Director. Makalipas ang dalawang termino niya bilang OSA dean, hindi pa rin kumukupas ang katangian ng kanyang pamumuno--otokratiko at represibo. Ngunit ang panahon nati’y panahon ng pagtakas. Maraming Iskolar ng Bayan (tunay, palaban, makabayan umano) ang nananatiling tahimik sa kabila ng mga represibong polisiya ng OSA sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Gonzales. Pagtakas mula sa tungkuling magtanong, mag-usisa, magsalita at maging tagapamandila ng demokrasya at kalayaan sa historikal na Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. Pagtakas mula sa taimtim na pagliliyab ng damdaming nakarararanas ng pagsikil sa demokratikong karapatan. Ngunit bukas, Setyembre 25, ganap na alas-8 ng umaga hanggang alas-12 ng tanghali, muli tayong tatakas. Tatakas tayo mula sa gapos ng represyon, mula sa katahimikan, mula sa pagmumuntik-muntikanan. Bukas tatakas tayo mula sa Unibersidad na mistula nang piitan. Tatakas tayo. At ngayon patungo sa hagdan ng Humanities, magsasama-sama at muling padadagundungin hanggang sa pagtitipon ng mga pinakamataas na opisyales ng pamantasan sa Board of Regents meeting bukas ang ating mga lehitimong panawagan: Patalsikin si Gonzales at itaguyod ang demokratikong pamimili ng maka-estudyanteng OSA Director! [P] ========================













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