1st Oblation Run Student Essay Competition

The U.P. Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity, in cooperation with STAND-UP and Center for Nationalist Studies (CNS)-UP Diliman, invites all bonafide undergraduate students of UP Diliman to share their thoughts and express their ideas in the 1st Oblation Run
Student Essay Competition. Deadline for submission of entries in on December 8, 2006, seven days before the 2006 OBLATION RUN.

1ST OBLATION RUN STUDENT ESSAY COMPETITION

Theme: “A Call to Action: The Oblation Run and the Struggles of the Iskolar ng Bayan”


RULES OF ESSAY COMPETITION
1.Open to all bonafide undergraduate students, Filipino citizens, of the University of the Philippines-Diliman who are enrolled in his / her college during the period of the competition;

2.Essays must be written in English or Filipino, computer-typed, 1.5 spaced, 11 pt. Georgia or Book Antiqua on 8.5 x 11 bond paper with one-inch margins on all sides;

3.Students may submit up to a maximum of two (2) entries provided, that essays are not written in the same language. They are requested to provide their own title of essays;

4.All essays must be at least two (2) pages but not more that five (5), no limit in length of words and must reflect the theme “A Call to Action: The Oblation Run and the Struggles of the Iskolar ng Bayan”;

5.Submit three (3) copies of the essay in one manila envelope. Photocopies will be accepted. Submit copies to the UP Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity-Greenhouse Tambayan, Palma Hall, UP Diliman. Look for CAPA Capariño or BENJ Alibasa;

6.Submission through e-mail will also be accepted. Send copies each to the following e-mail addresses:
upoblationrun [at] gmail [dot] com
apophils_eta [at[ yahoo [dot] com [dot] ph
jnbcaparino [at] yahoo [at] com;

7.In a separate sheet of paper / page, provide the following information: Name, Birth date, Course & College, Address, Contact Numbers (landline or mobile), Email address, and Organization / Affiliation (if any). Do not put names or any identification
in the essays;

8.Members of the UP Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity and Sorority are disqualified from joining the competition;

9.Three (3) winners (1st Prize, 2nd Prize & 3rd Prize) will be chosen from among the entries submitted. All winners will receive a cash prize (1st Prize-7,000; 2nd Prize-5,000; and 3rd Prize-3,000). The winners will be awarded on December 12, 2006, Tuesday;

10.Winning entries will become part of the Oblation Run exhibit on December 7-14. All entries shall become property of the UP Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity and the UP Alpha Phi Omega Foundation, Inc.; and

11.Deadline for submission of entries is December 8, 2006.

For inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact CAPA at (0915)-986-9905 / (0919)-284-1341 or email at upoblationrun [at] gmail [dot] com.

World's best

By Michael Tan (Inquirer)
Published on Page A15 of the October 25, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

SOME time back, i rote about the ratings of Asian universities given by Asiaweek magazine. Sadly, Asiaweek has closed down, so I thought we would no longer be able to compare universities in the region.

But it turns out that there are global surveys as well, one of which was just released last Oct. 5. This is the Times Higher Education Supplement-Quacquar elli Symonds (THES-QS) World University Rankings. With thousands of universities in the world, it is an honor to make it to this list, which is based on several criteria, including faculty-to-student ratios and ratings given by more than 3,000 academicians and 700 leading international employment recruiters.

How did the Philippines fare? I'm going to keep you in suspense and just say, for now, that four of our universities did make it to the top 500 universities.

Global ranks

Let's look first at the THES-QS list of 20 leading universities. Note that there are ties so there might be occasional skipping of numbers: Harvard (1st), Cambridge (2nd), Oxford (3rd), Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale (tying for 4th), Stanford (6th), California Institute of Technology (7th), University of California in Berkeley (8th), Imperial College London (9th), Princeton (10th), University of Chicago (11th), Columbia (12th), Duke (13th), Beijing University (14th), Cornell (15th), Australian National University (16th), London School of Economics (17th), Ecole Normale Superieure (18th), National University of Singapore and Tokyo University (tying for 19th).

Most of the universities are American and British, but there is also representation from Australia, France, China, Singapore and Japan. Most of the leading American universities are private; in fact, on that top 20 list, the University of California Berkeley is the only American public institution. When I went on to the top 500 universities, I found that in
all countries of the world, with the glaring exception of the United States and one other country (which I'll name later but which you may have guessed), state universities lead in the rankings.

Asia's best

I decided to pull out the Asian (to include Australian) universities from the THES-QS list and found that among the world's 500 leading universities, 90 are from Asia. Japan leads with 28, followed by China (including Hong Kong) with 16, Taiwan with 8, South Korea and Thailand with 7 each, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines with 4 each, Australia with 3, Singapore with 2 and Bangladesh with one.

Do be careful with those figures since it's not just a numbers game. Australia and Singapore have few universities on the list, but they are all high up in the ranking.

Enough with the suspense. Let's look at how the Philippines did. The University of the Philippines (UP) came in 299th globally and 47th among Asian universities. I have to say that's not too bad, considering how UP has had to plod along with shrinking budgets and with the flight of so many good professors. Trailing behind UP were three private universities: De La Salle (392nd), Ateneo de Manila (484th) and, talk about a photo finish, the University of Santo Tomas at 500th.

Lessons

Instead of bombarding you with more numbers, I'm going to analyze those rankings and spell out three important implications for our own educational system.

First, you don't need to be a rich country to have good universities, India being the best example. Even before independence, Indian nationalists had formed a commission to plan out their future and early on, they sought to form a network of science and technology institutions. After independence, funds were put in to establish a whole network, with several Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campuses. IIT ranked 57th in the THES-QS global list.

Indonesia, a country less developed than the Philippines, is another example. It had three universities, all state-run, beating us in rankings: University of Indonesia (250th), Bandung Institute of Technology (258th) and University of Gadja Mada (270th).

Second, the other countries seem to recognize that excellence in education must be spread out throughout the country. Note that our four best universities are all in Metro Manila. In contrast, the Indian Institute of Technology has campuses in several states, all of which fared quite well when Asiaweek rated each unit back in 2000. The three Indonesian universities I just named are all on the island of Java, but at least they're found not just in the capital, Jakarta, but also in Bandung and Yogyakarta.

Thailand's best universities -- Chulalongkorn, Thammasat, Mahidol, Kasatsart, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Prince of Songkla -- are all state universities and they are located in different parts of the country.

Third (and I've made this point time and time again), the state needs to invest in universities. The THES list is clear in showing that, with the exception of the United States and the Philippines, the leading universities in every country are state-owned. Sure, UP is the leader in the Philippines, but in other countries, several state universities � not just one -- made it to the THES list.

Most governments in the world have the wisdom to look at education as something too important to leave to "free market forces" (read: "profit"). Unless we learn from them, we will continue to see more diploma mills, more scandals in licensure exams and more Filipinos having to work overseas as cheap labor to develop other countries. Note that the THES-QS rankings also relate to international competitiveness, meaning if you graduate from those that lead in the rankings, you also stand a better chance of getting a well-paying international job.

UP is still among the world's best, but if we worked harder on the entire educational system, we should have more reason to be proud. Ultimately, we should be able to look at these university rankings as indicators of our current development strategies, as well as predictors of the country's future.

An unscholarly proposition

The president of the University of the Philippines characterizes the tuition in the state university,based on 1989 prices, as "ridiculously low." She hints at increasing fees by as much as 300 percent in some UP campuses, claiming that quality education "must come with a cost." That's ridiculous.

It appears that UP is pushed to take drastic steps to address its operational concerns: renovating buildings, maintaining facilities, and keeping professors' salaries competitive. The president laments that the subsidy to UP is shrinking. Further, the new UP charter which provides for alternative revenue sources is still pending in Congress. That is simple economics: finding solutions to a case of scarce resources.

Unfortunately, what is at stake here is not as simple.

Education as the great equalizer is best exemplified in the university. Poor families take comfort that for a few thousand pesos per semester, their bright children can enjoy the best education. A financially comfortable life is no longer a dream but a
likelihood. With the proposed increase, however, thousands of deserving students and their parents will be disenfranchised.

A primer released by the UP Board of Regents says "the eroded real value of tuition provides unwarranted support to students whose families can actually afford to pay the full cost of instruction. " We can live with that. Ultimately, these students from better-off families have a choice. This is infinitely better than totally depriving poor students of the option of going to the only good school they can afford to attend.

We trust that the UP will come to its senses and banish such notions. A tuition increase of great proportions would be a major blunder and a social injustice.

[source]

UP students denounce plan to increase tuition from P300 to P1,000 per unit

UP students, led by the Kabataan sectoral party - UP Diliman chapter, express strong condemnation to the UP administration' s recent proposal to increase tuition by 250 percent.

At the UP Oblation's statue, the university's symbol of academic freedom and service, the students hanged a huge tag price of P20,000.

The proposed increase is from P300 to P1,000 for every unit of tuition, and from P615 to P2,000 for miscellaneous fees. For an 18-unit regular load in UP, a student will then have to pay P20,000.

"This proposal is an outright attack to our right to education," said Carla Gonzales, coordinator for Kabataan-UP Diliman chapter.

"In the context of the present economic crisis that forces more and more youth to leave school, any form of tuition or miscellaneous fee increase will deprive more of us of the basic right to education," added Gonzales.

"The UP admin cites as primary reasons the inflation and the growing disparity of UP's tuition compared to other private universities.

"This is clearly an anti-student stand point. Knowing the burden that the continuous inflation has brought to the people, state universities should be even more accessible to the youth who deserve quality education," Gonzales explained.

"UP has been the dream of many underpriveleged families for their children. This tuition increase will shatter all these dreams."

The UP students then burned the huge tag price while hanged at Oblation's neck.

"We vow to never let the UP administration proceed with this fee increase. We will consolidate the support of all students and other members of the UP community to build the strongest opposition to this tuition increase proposal."

Kabataan party will join other student and UP groups in a mobilization on October 26, which will be held simultaneously at the administration buildings of different UP units nationwide. The UP board of regents will again tackle the tuition increase proposal in its October 26 meeting.

Standoff over funds shuts UP publication

By DJ Yap (Inquirer)

FOR TWO months now, there has been little activity on the fourth floor of Vinzons Hall, the student center at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, where the editorial office of the Philippine Collegian is located.

Locked in a standoff with the UP administration over the release of its publication fund, the country's most outspoken student newspaper has suspended press work, as it tries to resolve the fiscal problem.

Staff members and school authorities are arguing about whether the Collegian fund is a public fund, and therefore is subject to the Government Procurement Act, or a student fund under the full control of the editorial board.

As a result of the standoff, the UP administration has withheld the money allocated for the weekly paper's printing costs, angering editors and reporters who launched a campaign demanding the release of the fund.

So far, no one is budging. The last Collegian issue to hit the stands came out in late August, and staff members say they have given up hope of coming out with an issue before the semester ends.

Not just about money
While the debate is primarily about money, Collegian editors and reporters maintain that it is "in essence about silencing" the paper, which has been critical of both the national government and the UP administration.

"From the first issue of this year's term, the Collegian was already very critical of the UP administration and the national government," noted Wendell Gumban, a senior editor.

"What is happening to the Collegian right now is very beneficial to the administration and Malaca�ang; so to us, it seems to be an indirect way of repressing the paper," he said.

This view was disputed in an open letter to the UP community by Diliman chancellor Sergio Cao, who said the Collegian "has never been under siege."

"...This UP Diliman Administration has not done anything to threaten the independence of the Collegian as to what they can write about and how they write it," he said.

He said the Collegian funds were public funds and should be subject to government budgeting, accounting and auditing rules.

"In particular, in the matter of the choice of printing press for the Collegian, the choice must be subject to the provisions of the new government procurement law that prescribes bidding," he said.

Choice of printing press
Cao said he had met with representatives of the paper in hopes of resolving the matter, but the editors were "adamant about not undergoing this kind of government bidding procedure."

In a text message to the Inquirer, Cao said: "I have actually offered the Collegian a way to be financially independent: They collect the fees themselves so they don't become public funds. They refused."

But Gumban insisted that the issue was no longer about a simple disagreement over the nature of the Collegian funds.

"The administration says it's just a policy issue, but by forcing us to submit to the Government Procurement Act, they are withholding our fund, and in effect, the lifeblood of the paper," he said.

He said the editorial board would not allow the UP administration to conduct a bidding among printing presses, standard policy for government funds under Republic Act No. 9184, precisely because Collegian funds were not public funds.

Gumban said the staff was not willing to give in, particularly on the choice of printing press, in order to protect the editorial board's fiscal autonomy as mandated by the Campus Journalism Act.

"If we give in, it would set a dangerous precedent. It's better to fight for our principles at this stage, so we won't be compromised in the future," he said.

Repercussions
The College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), which has been closely watching the developments, said it was siding with the Collegian on the issue.

"In our view, the objective of the administration is to silence the Collegian. They may say that they are only implementing the law, but their actions are obviously colored by such an objective," said CEGP president Jose Cosido.

He said the Collegian's woes might have repercussions on other campus publications throughout the country, considering its long and proud history.

The Oblation

Sir/Madam:


I hope this email finds you in the best of health.

Our batch, the UP College of Law Class of 1985, will be the celebrating sponsor during the 2010 Alumni Homecoming of the U.P. College of Law. As part of this event, we will also be undertaking projects that will benefit our College—our way of giving back to our school.

As our means to raise funds for our endeavors, our batch is proud to offer to all interested alumni of the university, an Oblation statuette which was reproduced by no less than Napoleon V. Abueva, the National Artist.

The Abueva reproduction weighs 3.5 lbs., stands 20 inches high, is made of fiberglass and painted with antique bronze finish. It has a brass plate at the base which has an embossed logo of the University. It can be personalized, according to the course and class to which the alumnus belongs. [1][1]

We feel that the oblation is a timely project especially so that the University is celebrating its 100th year in 2008. It is also unique and rare. Owning one is like having a part of history.

The statuette costs P10,000.00 each. It includes FREE engraving of the alumnus’ name and the course/s and year graduated, comprising two lines.

All deliveries are FREE within Metro Manila. For deliveries outside of Metro Manila, the cost of freight cost is P450.00 which is for the account of the alumnus.

To order your personalized Oblation statuette, please text or call Sheila at the Secretariat at Tel. No. 906-5200307. You can fax the filled up form to 888-0912. We will collect upon confirmation of your order and prior to delivery. We will advice you regarding collection of payment upon receipt of your order.

We are attaching a brochure and a ready-to-print Order Form for your use and reference.

We would also be grateful for referrals to your classmates and friends from the university.



Best Regards,


Bernadette G. Juarez, LL.B.
Project Chair
U.P. College of Law, Class of 1985





“In barricades embattled,fighting with delirium, others donate you their lives without doubts, without gloom; The site doesn't matter,cypress, laurel or lily,gibbet or open field, combat or cruel martyrdom, are equal if demanded by country and home.”
From the 2nd Stanza of Rizal's "Last Farewell”, (English Translation by Nick Joaquin)


A Brief History of the Oblation (1908-2008)

In 1935, Rafael Palma, the first Filipino president of the University of the Philippines, commissioned the Filipino sculptor and National Artist, Guillermo E. Tolentino to translate the second stanza of Rizal's "Last Farewell" into a monument that would be the identifying landmark of the University.

The result that was to be a masterpiece is the Oblation which was made of concrete and was painted with a bronze finish. The original production cost amounted to P2, 000.00 and this came from the contributions of students, officials, alumni, and employees of the University.

Professor Tolentino describes the symbolisms of the Oblation as follows:

"The completely nude figure of a young man with outstretched arms and open hands, with tilted head, closed eyes and parted lips murmuring a prayer, with breast forward in the act of offering himself, is my interpretation of that sublime stanza. It symbolizes all the unknown heroes who fell during the night. The statue stands on a rustic base, a stylized rugged shape of the Philippine archipelago, lined with big and small hard rocks, each of which represents an island.

The “katakataka” (wonder plant) whose roots are tightly implanted on Philippine soil, is the link that binds the symbolized figure to the allegorical Philippine Group.

“Katakataka” is really a wonder plant. It is called siempre vivo (always alive) in Spanish. A leaf or a piece of it thrown anywhere will sprout into a young plant. Hence, it symbolizes the deep-rooted patriotism in the heart of our heroes. Such patriotism continually and forever grows anywhere in the Philippines.

The 3.5 meter height of the statue stands for the three hundred fifty (350) years of Spanish rule in the Philippines. The rocks on the base were taken from Montalban (Rizal) gorge-- the site of the fierce fighting between Filipino guerillas and the Japanese army during the Second World War."


From Padre Faura to Diliman

The cornerstone of the Oblation was earlier laid by Mrs. Aurora Quezon on November 30, 1931. In 1939, the Oblation was unveiled and dedicated to the national heroes at the UP Padre Faura Campus by Mrs. Gregoria de Jesus de Nakpil, widow of Andres Bonifacio. The statue withstood the ravages of war and remained intact at the UP Padre Faura quadrangle until liberation day.

On February 11, 1949, as part of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the University, the original Oblation was transferred to the Diliman campus.

In 1950, the UP Board of Regents ordered that the Oblation be cast in bronze. This bronze statue was cast in Italy, under the personal supervision of Professor Tolentino.

On November 29, 1958, on the occasion of the University's golden jubilee, the 9-foot tall bronze Oblation was unveiled in UP Diliman, in front of Quezon Hall, the main administration building of the U.P. Diliman campus.

The original Oblation is now located at the 3rd floor of the UP Main Library in Diliman.



Napoleon V. Abueva, the National Artist

Napoleon Isabelo V. Abueva was born on January 26, 1930 in Tagbilaran, Bohol. He graduated from the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts in 1953 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture. He received much recognition as early as his college years, during which he was mentored by Guillermo E. Tolentino, the first National Artist for Sculpture and creator of the UP Oblation.

For three years in a row (1951-1953), he won first prize and best entry awards in sculpture in the Art Association of the Philippines annual competition. One of his works during this period is the “Kaganapan” (1953), considered also as the most representative of his works. Along the various awards he has reaped, he also received recognition from the Institute of Contemporary Arts’ International Sculpture Competition in London, England for his work known as “The Unknown Political Prisoner.”

In 1955, he finished his Master of Fine Arts at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan as a Fulbright/Smith-Mundt Scholar. He later took graduate units in Ceramics at the University of Kansas and Art History at Harvard University.

In 1976, Napoleon V. Abueva, then 46 years of age, became the youngest Filipino to be named a National Artist. Not only is he known as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture—he is a master in both academic representational style and modern abstract.

In 1978, he was appointed Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines, a position he held until 1989.

In 1993, he was given an honorary doctorate in humanities and was promoted to University Professor. He retired from the University in June 1995, and was given the status of Professor Emeritus in April 2003.

His works have been executed using a wide range of materials, including hard wood like molave, acacia, langka wood, ipil, kamagong, palm wood and bamboo, adobe, metal, stainless steel, cement, marble, bronze, iron, alabaster, coral, and brass. He even combines different materials, like wood with metal and stone.

Among the major works of Abueva are as follows: Kiss of Judas (1955); The Transfiguration at the Eternal Garden Memorial Park (1979); Fredesvinda in Fort Canning, Singapore (1981); Nine Muses at the UP Faculty Center (1994); Sunburst at the Peninsula Manila Hotel (1994); the bronze figure of Teodoro M. Kalaw in front of National Library; Murals in Marble at the National Heroes Shrine, Mt. Samat, Bataan; 14 Stations of the Cross at the EDSA Shrine. He also performed the death mask procedures to the late Cardinal Sin and Fernando Poe Jr.

Several public art of Abueva can also be found at UP Diliman campus. Among these are: The Crucifix with Two Corpora, including the altar base (1957) and subsequently, the bust of Fr. Delaney at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice; The University Gateway (also UP Gates); Tribute to Higher Education, at the entrance of University Avenue (1967); The Spirit of Business, in front of the College of Business Administration (1979); Diwata, at the Faculty Center (1992); Alma Mater, at the lobby of Ang Bahay ng Alumni (1996); Three Women Sewing the First Philippine Flag, also known as Tres Marias Plaza, at the UP Donors’ Garden, as part of the centennial celebration of the 1896 Philippine Revolution (1996).

The honors and awards accorded to Abueva are tremendous. A few are: First Prize, Sculptural Exhibition by the Art Association of the Philippines (1951); First Prize in the Fifth Annual Art Exhibition (1952); First Prize and Special Award on the Fourth Sculptural Exhibition (1952); Awardee, The Unknown Political Prisoner, in the International Sculpture Competition by the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London (1953); First Prize and Special Award, Kaganapan (Marble), in the Semi-Annual Art Exhibition by the Art Association of the Philippines (1953); First Prize, Kiss of Judas (Wood), in the Religious Art Exhibition in Detroit, Michigan, USA (1955); First Prize, Water Buffalo (Marble), in the Annual Show, at St. Louis , Missouri, USA (1956); First Prize, Figure (Wood), in the Annual Show of the Art Association of the Philippines (1957); Most Outstanding Alumnus of the School of Fine Arts, U.P. Golden Jubilee (1958); Republic Award for Sculpture (1959); Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM) Awardee in Sculpture (1959); Winner, U.P. Gateway Design Competition (1962); Winner, Cultural Heritage Award (1966); ASEAN Awards for Visual Arts in Bangkok (1987); Fourth ASEAN Achievement Award for Visual Arts in Singapore (July 1995).

In an interview, Abueva was asked: “Why do some individuals become great artists, while others, unfortunately, do not?”

Abueva answered: “The inner drive…A more accomplished artist has inner drive and stamina. Now this is very important. The plight of the artist is somewhat similar to that of the long distance runner. You have to cross the finish line. What counts more in life is the end result. Leonardo da Vinci once said that the greatest tragedy of artists is when theory outstrips performance (laughs). Artists are judged by the end result. Theory is important but concepts must be executed very well for any theory to be realized. The artist must possess the inner drive, passion, and “loneliness” of a long distance runner to go very far…”[1]

After his mentor’s (Tolentino) demise, Napoleon V. Abueva was the one authorized to do the replica of The Oblation at the following campuses—UP Baguio, UP Visayas, UP Miag-ao, UP Mindanao and UP Los Banos.

Now 76 years old, Napoleon V. Abueva continues to lead a busy life as a sculptor and still do projects in the same humongous proportions as The Transfiguration. His passion for his work remains at a high-pitch.


Napoleon Abueva and the Oblation
There is no other symbol that is more closely identified with the University of the Philippines than the statue of the Oblation. To the alumni, the naked figure of a young man in a symbolic gesture of sacrificial offering of service to country and humanity has become the major rallying point for all kinds of dissent, protest actions, and social criticism, as well as expressions of public service, nationalism, and patriotism.
The Oblation, apart from being the landmark in every university campus, has become the major symbolic link of the alumni with their Alma Mater.
As the University reaches its 100th year anniversary in 2008, the U.P. College of Law is proud to present to all alumni , a limited edition of the miniature version of the U.P. Oblation, reproduced by no other than Napoleon V. Abueva, National Artist for Sculpture.

The Abueva reproduction stands 20 inches high, weighs 3.5 lbs., is made of fiberglass and painted with antique bronze finish. The brass plate has an antique finish and bears an embossed logo of the University. It can be personalized, according to the course and class to which the alumnus belongs. [2]

The proceeds will be used by the U.P. College of Law Class of 1985 to fund its socially-relevant projects.

You can share in this undertaking by owning one of these limited oblation reproduction -- a rare chance to own a piece of history.

For information on how to own an Abueva reproduction of the Oblation, call or text Sheila at our Secretariat at 906-5200307 or fax your order form to tel. 888-0912.
[1] *From Bulawan 1, a publication of The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (2001).

College Life In The Philippines

MAHIRAP LAHAT
Sa UP, mahirap ang Math
Sa Ateneo, mahirap ang English.
Sa La Salle, mahirap ang parking.
Sa Assumption, mahirap ang walang pera.
Sa Holy Spirit, mahirap umuwi pag may rally
Sa UST, mahirap umuwi kapag baha.
Sa St. Scho, mahirap sumakay sa LRT
Sa San Beda, mahirap maging lalaki.

***

WHERE TO GO TO COLLEGE?
If you have a lot of brains and a little money, go to UP.
If you have some brains and some money, go to Ateneo.
If you have no brains and lots of money, go go La Salle .
If you have no money, go to PUP.

***

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
A few days before Christmas, the Monsignor thought it would be a good idea if he solicited the support of a number of schools to get together to create a Nativity Scene in time for the
Christmas Mass. The day before Christmas, the Monsignor discovered that the Nativity Scene was still incomplete so he made a few inquiries on why this was so.

Ateneo reported it could come up with only two and not three wise men. La Salle reported it could not come up with even a single wise man. Maryknoll reported that it could not come up with even a single virgin. San Beda reported that it could only come up with three wise gays. UP reported that they killed the three wise men.

***

QUESTION AND ANSWER
Q: What should an Atenean do when a La Sallite hurls a grenade at him?
A: The Atenean should pick up the grenade, pull the firing pin and hurl it back at the La Sallite.

Q: How do La Sallites count to ten?
A: One, two, three, another, another, and another.

***

PASIKATAN NG GRADWEYTS
UP: A number of past Philippine presidents graduated from UP. Presidents Roxas, Quirino, Laurel, Garcia and Marcos, to name just a few!
ATENEO: Hah! That's nothing, a number of Ateneo graduates became national heroes like Jose Rizal, Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, Gen.Antonio Luna, Evelio Javier and many others.
UP: That just goes to show you, UP graduates become presidents and lead countries while Atenean end up getting shot!
LA SALLE : Wala 'yan. Talo kayo sa mga gradweyt namin!
UP & ATENEO: Bakit sino ba ang mga graduates ninyo?
LA SALLE : Aba ! Marami kaming sikat na gradweyts; si Gary Valenciano, Dingdong Avanzado, Ogie Alcasid, Monsour del Rosario.

***

HOW TO IDENTIFY A LA SALLITE
A La Sallite walks into a store in Mega Mall and says: "Miss, I'd like a green parrot, please."

The salesgirl looks at him and asks: "Sir, are you a La Sallite, by any chance?"

The La Sallite replies: "O... bakit mo naman natanong 'yan? If I ordered BLUE cheese, would you ask me if I were from Ateneo? I don't think so. If I bought a MAROON shirt, would you ask me if I were from UP? I think not. So why then, when I want to buy a GREEN parrot, do you ask me if I'm from La Salle ?"

"Sir, kasi naman..." replied the salesgirl, "this is a flower shop, eh."

***

A TYPICAL CONVERSATION
Two La Sallites meet o! n the street and carry on a typical La Sallite conversation:
La Sallite #1: If you can tell me how many chickens I have in this bag, I will give you both of them.
La Sallite #2: Uh, two?
La Sallite #1: Daya mo! You peeked!

***

BARKADA SA HUNTING
Tatlong magkaka-barkada: a La Sallite, a UP student, and an Atenean went on a hunting trip. The first night, the guy from UP comes back to the cabin with a big deer. The others ask him how he did it, and he coolly replies: "I saw the t racks, I followed the tracks, and bang!
I got the deer!"

The next night, the guy from Ateneo comes back also with a big deer. "I saw the tracks, I followed the tracks, and bang! I got the deer!" was the Atenean's story.

Therefore, the La Sallite decides to try it himself. However, the next night, as he drags himself back to the cabin, his two companions find him bruised and bloody all over. "What happened?" they ask.

"Well," replies the La Sallite, "I saw the tracks, I followed the tracks, and bang! A train hit me."

***

A MURDER MYSTERY
(To be solved solely on the basis of pure logic)
Who committed the murder?

Suspects:
The Humble Atenean, The Bright La Sallite, The Innocent Maryknoller, The Unaffected Assumptionista, The UP Graduate

Culprit:
The UP Graduate

Logic:
No such thing as a Humble Atenean or a Bright La Sallite or an Innocent Maryknoller or an Unaffected Assumptionista.

***

HOW DO YOU KNOW ONE WHEN YOU SEE ONE?
In a grand ballroom party conducted by the Philippine Society of Colleges and Universities, the Chairman of the Board got curious to know what particular schools attended the big celebration.

Therefore, he checked out the house where it was all happening. Guess whom he found and where he found them?

UP Diliman - everybody was lined up to the attic to have a fraternity ritual
UP Los Banos - they were in the garden mowing the lawn
UP Manila - they were into "drugs"
Ateneo - they were inside the TV room with a microphone chanting the "BLUE EAGLE" spelling
La Salle - they were eavesdropping
San Beda - some were beside the Ateneans while others were in the bedroom with some Paulinians
St. Paul - they thought they were with the Ateneans
Holy Spirit - Ateneans and La Sallites want them in bed
Miriam - they were beside the room of the Ateneans...like always
Assumption - they were inside the bathroom three hours already since arriving
St. Scholastica - they were next in line for the bathroom
CEU - some were doing the dishes while others were busy with the laundry
St. Louis - they were in front of the air conditioner
UE - they don't know what's an air conditioner
UST - they were everywhere
FEU - they were nowhere
MLQU - sob! They were not invited
San Sebastian - How the hell did they pass by security?
Letran - the Security
Mapua - they were fixing the leak in the roof
TIP - they were the ones who created the leak
NU - they were outside the house selling cigarettes
JRC - they were the ones buying
Adamson - went to Luneta instead
Sta. Isabel - they were Adamson's dates
CRC - what the hell is this party for?
PSBA - what the hell is CRC?
NCBA - what the hell is PSBA?
AMA - they were parading with Jolina posters

***

SUICIDE SANDWICH

There were three friends: an Atenean, a La Sallite, and a UP student (so you know this story is fictional). Anyway, everyday, they met for lunch and ate their sandwiches.

UP: Putek! Peanut butter sandwich na naman? Sawang-sawa na ako dito ah. Pag bukas, peanut butter sandwich na namanang baon ko, magpapatiwakal na ako.
Ateneo: Darn! Roast beef sandwich again. I am sick of this already. If I get another roast beef sandwich again tomorrow, I am gonna shoot myself.
La Salle : Oh my gosh, grabe! Ham sandwich is my baon again. I am so sawa with this sandwich na, ha? If my baon tomorrow is ham sandwich again. I am gonna drive my CRV over the cliff.

The next morning, they again met for lunch, and, alas, they had the same sandwiches again. The UP student went back to his dorm, pulled out a belt and choked himself to death. The Atenean went home, got a gun, and shot himself in the head. The La Sallite drove his CRV off a cliff.

During their funeral, their mothers were interviewed:
UP: Kung sinabi niya lang sa akin na ayaw niya na nang peanut butter sandwich, eh di sana hindi na yun yung pinabaon ko sa kanya.
Ateneo: If he had told me that he did not want roast beef anymore, I wouldn't have prepared him roast beef.La Salle : Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit siya nagpakamatay, eh siya naman yung gumagawa ng sarili niyang sandwich.

Letter To All

Dear all,

I can't help myself.

After reading Kenneth's piece, Paolo's letter and the APSM's letter re the egg-throwing incident, copies of which were sent to my email, I found it hard to resist throwing in my one centavo's worth of ideas. Granting, Paolo and the pol sci majors could already be my grandchildren, and it's not for grownups to meddle in kids' fights, but heck, I was a UP student, too, and part of the crop that struggled not only for academic freedom, but for our country's freedom from military rule.

First, please bear with this Lola Basyang tale. The first organization I joined during my freshman year was...well, UPSCA (UP Students' Catholic Action), that pious organization. Those times, young people my age were already in the countrysides, or in underground organizations in the cities, struggling every second from being arrested or killed by the dictatorship' s armed forces. At that time when student progressives were fighting for the restoration of student councils, we in UPSCA were fighting against...dyaraan. ..hazing (such an important issue, 'no?) because, we were told, "the body is the temple of the human spirit" which should not be violated.

Campus politics-wise, we were against the slogan-chanting bunch. There were 'elders' in the organization (now I realize, they all were getting their bread from the Marcos government then) who advised us that "a dead hero is a useless hero", in reference to the militant side of the organized studentry - those unreasonable" ND's who seemed always to be in a fighting, shouting, marching mood. We were UPSCA, the ones who were more "balanced", "pragmatic", "for peace."

In one of the student fora organized by the "ND's", I even questioned the need for student participation in the restoration of the student council (my god, I bury my head in the sand whenever I remember that moment). Can anyone blame me? I just turned 16 then, impressionable, and like may other young students at UP, amusingly naive.

Just one year at UP turned me into someone else, however. Maybe it was the bigger social ferment that did it. Maybe it was Malu Mangahas waxing eloquent about academic freedom, or Sonia Sotto leading the fight for a Magna Carta against police and military presence in the campus (that's right- we couldn't bear the thought of a single policeman's or soldier's booted foot stepping on campus grounds). Maybe it was my professors - "Mad Marx" Ed Villegas, and Roland Simbulan who made me read Karl M. as part of our Devt Studies curriculum (though I admit the only insight I got then from my reading was - if Marx had written against the slavery of women and children, then maybe he was a good person!?)

Or perhaps it was the 'Barrio Work' program of UPSCA which made military and police abuse, semi-feudalism and the desperation it brought to poor peasants something as concrete as the buildings and classrooms of UP were to me.

We were a bunch of curious kids then who spent two weeks in a barrio in Bulacan, on pretense that we were from Maryknoll and Ateneo. But then the local police learned we were actually UP students, so one night he sent some men in a tamaraw (not the animal, but the vehicle which preceded the FX) to the barrio, presumably trying to find out where the "UP kids" were staying. And since the local police have just "salvaged" two youthful organizers in a nearby barrio a few weeks earlier, our hosts decided that very night to "rescue" us.

A kindly, middle-aged man, I now forget his name, a military man himself but had resigned out of conscience, drove the jeepney that took us out of the barrio, but first advising us that should we be ever caught in a military checkpoint "tumakbo na kayo sa unang pagkakataong makuha ninyo." Gee wheez, and to think the oldest in our group then was a guitar-loving pretty boy of about 20 years, maybe weighing 80 lbs, and couldn't hurt a single fly.

So why do I tell this story? It might seem mababaw, and I might sound just like your lolo or lola glorifying his/her days.

No, my message is really quite simple. In my UP days, and the years before mine, students didn't just throw eggs. They threw molotovs and pillboxes. They didn't spend days troubling themselves with the 'safety' of their fellow students, knowing that harm does not come from the slogan-chanting rabble-rousers but from the ARMED elements of the government clinging, butts and all, to power.

UP students of those days troubled themselves with making their classmates realize the true meaning of wisdom, of being "a iskolar ng bayan", of grasping the summed-up experiences of other peoples embodied in social theories, testing these in our country's social waters, and thus in the process, sifting the chaff from the grain. That was the way we learned. Not just inside the classroom, and certainly not by listening to someone who's spearheading a campaign to kill political dissent. (You kill dissent, and you kill political discourse itself. Shouldn't that be more troubling for a pol sci major?).

UP students then, as many other young people now, threw themselves into the struggle, AND MADE HISTORY as a result of it. Think Edjop, Lorena Barros, and other stellar names.

One of the greatest things I learned at UP was that the middle stance as the correct stance, is well...a funny assertion. A blind man's perspective. A joker's. "Middle" denotes balance and equality. Can the Right ever be equal with the Left? Only in mathematical equations. Never in social reality. The Right has arms and might, while the Left derives its might only from being on the democratic side. "Middle" is only for referees in a boxing fight.

Ensure the safety of the top military official of the land by searching students' bags? Hello? is this UP? Golly, I salute those who still attended the forum despite the searches. Why would I want the organizers to peep into my lunchbox or know how many coins I've got left in my bag ?

A student organization trying to ensure the safety of the top military official? Has everyone in this university gone mad? I bet the General went there with enough bullets to finish off everyone who was at the UP campus on that day. When you've got a lot of enemies, you don't walk around with just a sandwich in your bag.

My dear pol sci majors, you've got a terribly disturbing view of the world. Maybe you're reading the wrong political science books. Or are listening to the wrong professors. Try reading Mao Tse Tung once in a while. He's the demon incarnate to many people. But there's at least a line or two in his writings that will make you cry. Read him to find out why.

R. Jitana

Mayon Eruption Hard To Predict, Phivolcs Says

By Ephraim Aguilar (Inquirer)

LEGAZPI CITY—Volcanologists are hard put predicting the exact date of Mayon volcano’s major eruption even as 44,000 people linger in temporary shelters.

“The signs of an imminent hazardous eruption are still there but we are having a hard time establishing a pattern due to the volcano’s irregular behavior,” said Raymond Maximo, one of the science research specialists from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs)-Manila now keeping close watch on Mayon’s unrest.

Maximo cited the sudden calming-down after a series of ash explosions and the rise and fall of the sulfur dioxide [SO2] emission rate.

There was a lull in volcanic activity last Tuesday with no ash explosions recorded and the sulfur dioxide emission rate at only 2,918 tons daily, the lowest since the alert level four was hoisted last Aug. 7.

On Wednesday, however, Mayon had five ash explosions. A “very high” SO2 emission rate of 8,086 tons daily were recorded in the past 24 hours, Phivolcs said yesterday.

It also warned of pyroclastic flows that may be generated by the sudden collapse of hot lava deposits in the middle slopes.

Maximo said the accumulation of lava deposits was caused by the big volume of lava that had flowed down, now measured at 6.7 km from the crater or barely 1.3 km from the extended 8-km danger zone and closest to the village of Buyuan in this city.

He added that the volcano had already generated 32 million cubic meters of hot lava during this period of unrest, which has devastated coconut plantations and vegetation within the 6-km permanent danger zone.

In a report of the Office of Civil Defense-Bicol yesterday noon, there were 44,491 persons or 9,597 families housed in 29 evacuation centers.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said the total financial assistance extended to the villagers was P5.5 million, almost half of which came from nongovernment organizations and other government agencies other than the DSWD and the local government units.

Five municipalities and three cities stand in the path of an eruption but Sto. Domingo and Daraga towns and this city, which have a total of 16 villages, are at highest risk.

Cedric Daep, executive officer of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council, said the long-term plan of the PDCC to permanently relocate villagers, especially those near river channels, is still an ongoing effort of the provincial government.

Para kay Kasamang Ambo (Statement from UPLB LFS Alumnae, Alumni and Friends)

[Sa lipunan ng mga matuwid at makatarungan, tiyak na walang puwang o dahilan para danasin ng sino mang naggigiit ng katwiran at katarungan ang brutal na pamamaslang. Kaya't kung dinanas ito ni kasamang Ambo at ng marami pang iba na naghahanap ng katotohanan at katarungan sa bayang batbat ng pagsasamantala, korupsyon, kasinungalingan at mga kahirapan, tiyak din na ang lipunang kanilang ginalawan ay pinaghaharian ng mga taong walang alam sa matuwid na katwiran kundi man absolutong hindi kumikilala ng katwiran at katarungan…]

Sa simula’y nakikilala natin ang isang tao sa kanyang palayaw, butas sa tenga at angas at kwela. At kung babalikan natin ang nasabing simula, iisipin nating nakilala nga ba natin siya?

Kagaya ng iba, nabansagan siya bilang iskolar ng bayan nang pumasok siya sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Los Baños taong 2002. Sa taon ding iyo siya naimbitahan upang maging kasapi ng League of Filipino Students. Simula noon, nasabak siya sa mga gawain hindi lamang sa nasabing organisasyon sa loob ng paaralan, maging sa mga gawain sa ibat iba pang sektor ng lipunan.

Naging kaibigan natin siya...

Isang kaibigang taglay ang natural na kakulitan, baon ang kahusayan sa pagpapatawa. Ika nga, isa siyang complete entertainment showcase, kung humirit at kung bumanat. Marahil, marami ang nakakilala sa kanya na hanggang patawa lang. Subalit ang ganitong mga katangian niya ang nagbigay-daan din upang madali siyang matanggap at mahalin ng masa.

Naging kasama natin siya…

Hindi man kagyat na inakalang magiging isang mulat na yayakap sa aktibismo, nakitaan kaagad siya ng potesyal at kasigasigan sa paggampan ng mga gawain sa pagpupukaw, pag-oorganisa at pagmomobolisa ng mga kabataan-estudyante sa UPLB. Naging katuwang natin siya sa mga gabing puyatan sa workshops, educational discussions at pagpupulong. Naging kasama natin siya sa mga kampanyang tumutol sa mapagsamantalang sistema ng edukasyon. At kinalaunan, tinanggap na rin niya ang hamon na paglingkuran ang iba pang malalawak na sektor ng lipunan. Ang pakikibaka niya’y umabot na sa mga lansangan at pabrika, kasama ng mga manggagawa at magsasaka at ng iba pang pinagsasamantalang uri ng mapang-aping sistema.

Sa simula’y kinagiliwan natin siya dahil sa kanyang mga patawa at dimples sa pisngi. Ngayon, kinikilala natin siya sapagkat ipinakita niya, sa likod ng kanyang mga ngiti at kwela, ang kanyang makabuluhang paggampan at seryosong pagharap sa mga tungkulin at hamon bilang isang tunay na lider-estudyante at aktibista. Hindi matatawaran ang naging kontribusyon niya sa kasaysayan ng aktibismo, at malaking bahagi nito ay ang paglubog niya sa hanay ng mga kabataan-estudyante at sa iba pang uri ng lipunan.

Kung kaya, sa lahat ng ito, iginagawad natin sa kanya, kay kasamang Rei Mon Guran, si Ambo na ating kaibigan, ang isang taas-kamaong pagkilala sa kanyang maningning na kontribusyon sa kasaysayan ng pakikibaka ng masang anak-pawis, kabilang na ang iba pa nating mga kasamang pinaslang at dinadahas ng mapanupil at kriminal na papet na rehimeng Arroyo.

Si kasamang Ambo ay hindi lamang magiging numero sa humahabang listahan ng mga sistematikong pagpatay sa ating mga kasama; sapagkat katulad ng iba pang martir ng kilusang pambansa-demokratiko, siya ay magsisilbing lakas natin sa pagpapaigting ng ating pakikibaka laban sa mga uring-mapagsamantala, tungo sa minimithing pambansang demokrasya!

Ang laban ni kasamang Ambo ay laban natin, at ang ating mga lehitimong laban ay hindi kailanman mayayanig at masusupil ng bala at gatilyo.

Kailan man ay hindi umatras ang mamamayang lumalaban gaano man kaigting ang pasismo ng estado. Sapagkat alam ng ng mga mamamayan na sa likod ng pasismo ay ang nabubulok at pabagsak nang rehimen.

Labanan at tapatan ang giyera ni GMA! Patalsikin ang kriminal na rehimeng Arroyo!


--UPLB LFS Alumnae, Alumni and Friends

Youth civil rights group condemns killing of student activist

TANGGULAN Youth Network for Human Rights and Civil Liberties condemns today's early morning killing of Rie Mon Guran, 21 years old and the League of Filipino Students (LFS) chapter spokesperson in Aquinas University , Albay province.

Dion Cerrafon, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines chairperson and convenor of TANGGULAN blamed the Arroyo government for the "cold-blooded murder of student activists prominent in the Arroyo ouster campaign."

"Who has the motives to silent its critics? Who has the greatest benefit if those the government considers as 'enemies of the state' are physically eliminated?"

According to reports received by KARAPATAN national from its provincial chapter in Sorsogon, Rie or "Ambo" as he is fondly called by friends was shot today at around 6 a.m. in Bulan, Sorsogon.

"Sino ang Judas na patrydor na babarilin si Rie sa umagang-umaga ngayong araw? We hold this government accountable for the unabated attack on our organisations. We protest Arroyo government's inability to solve this hideous crime which already claimed the lives of two of our leaders in Bicol", Vencer Crisostomo LFS national chairperson and also TANGGULAN's convenor.

Rie is already the second student leader of LFS slain this year in the Bicol region after Cris Hugo of the Bicol University . Cris, 21 years old LFS regional spokesperson was killed by an unknown assailant last March 19 while walking home, after a class outing in the area of Washington Drive, Legazpi City.

TANGGULAN meanwhile said that Rie is the fourth youth leader victimized by extra-judicial execution since January this year.

LFS called for an indignation rally today, which is to be joined by other student and youth members of TANGGULAN.

Another LFS leader shot dead in Bicol

A few months after the murder of Cris Hugo, a National Council member of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) in Bicol, another LFS member was shot dead in Bulan, Sorsogon today.

Rie Mon "Ambo" Guran, a 21 year-old student from Aquinas University was shot dead this morning at around 6 a.m. He was a 4th year Political Science student and was the LFS spokesperson for Aquinas.

Guran's killing also came a month after the abduction of 2 UP students, Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan, in Bulacan, both LFS members.

"We are very upset and very much outraged by this recent murder. We are holding President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directly responsible for this killing as it happened a week after she praised Gen. Jovito Palparan's acts in her SONA," said Vencer Crisostomo, LFS National Chairperson.

Crisostomo said Guran's killing shows that Arroyo's "vague" condemnation of political killings during her SONA last week "was only meant for PR".

"This proves the farcical nature of Arroyo's 'condemnation' of political killings: nothing is actually done to stop the murders and instead, murderers like Palparan are being honored. The implementation of her 'all-out war' and 'Oplan Bantay Laya' continue, targeting unarmed civilians and activists," said Crisostomo.

Crisostomo called on students to conduct "nationwide walk-outs and boycott protests" in response to the Guran's killing. "We have to stop this fascist rampage of the Arroyo regime. We cannot allow cold-blooded assasinations like this to continue targeting the youth of our nation. We will do every means necessary to make this government pay for its crimes and to get justice for the victims of the Arroyo regime," he said.

The League of Filipino Students (LFS) is a nationwide student organization formed in 1977 as an alliance against tuition increases. It has chapters in prominent universities, colleges and high schools accross the regions. Despite repeated categorical denial by the students, the group with around 10,000 members nationwide has been tagged as "communist fronts" and "destabilizers" by the government and elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). #

Child Of The Sun: Belong To The Land And To The People, And Serve Them Well

By Dr. Jose M. Tiongco / MindaNews / 22 April 2006
Speech delivered by Dr. Jose M. Tiongco at the 9th Commencement Exercises of the University of the Philippines in Mindanao, 22 April 2006

Were I to introduce myself, I would present a simple country bumpkin of a doctor, a surgeon who was born and raised in Mindanao. And will die here too. And that would probably be soon, if I do not finally learn in my old age to keep my mouth shut.
I have gone around the world a few times and talked to quite a number of people of different races, people of different cultural, economic and educational backgrounds. And this is not the first time that I am speaking to a UP audience. But I get goose bumps every time I find myself in a UP institution. It is not easy to talk to UP people. I should know that. I come from UP myself. You can always tell a UP graduate from those of the other Universities. You would generally be looking at a person who is multi-talented, multi-tasked, interesting, interested, articulate, efficient, effective, competent, self assured, and eager to learn more; even if you understandably would also have to deal with a certain palpable cockiness. Would you agree?

But if there were a Jesuit in the audience today, he will probably rise up to say that I am really describing an Ateneo person as well! I have been with the Ateneo much, much longer than I had been with UP. And I would have to agree, especially on the cockiness part. But I will argue that it is in the University of the Philippines that the student acquires on top of all that I described, a sense of Nationalism, of cultural identity, and a burning sense of outrage at the historical and present oppression of our country and our people.

And this is what UP is really known for. Would you agree?

Yes. I can attest to that, having graduated 35 years ago from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine in Manila. And those were the times in our nation's history when the UP students hurled themselves at the Marcos military in the cities and in the countryside to tell them and the rest of the world that they would rather die than tolerate oppression.

That was 35 years ago. And today I often wonder what happened. How could such a pure and pristine movement that wore the invincible armor of love of country and esistance against fascism degenerate after all those years into the tattered rags of banditry, extortion and opportunism?

Those who were fortunate enough to die in the struggle have remained true to the cause. But that cannot be said for the unfortunate many who survived. For one can now see quite a number of them carving out their opulent lifestyles in USA, paying only lip service to the sufferings here in the Philippines. And those who have decided to stay in the Philippines can now be seen walking the corridors of power, integral parts of the system they had previously fought against and wished to destroy.

What started out with a bang has now ended with a pitiful whimper, if not with the clink and clatter of thirty pieces of silver.

Is our history really meant to be this way?

In a couple of years, the University of the Philippines System, the most venerable educational institution in the country will be celebrating its centennial.

How would history judge UP in the last one hundred years? If the long suffering people of the Philippines were to examine the University of the Philippines System and grade its performance for the country in the last 100 years, would the UP pass or fail the examination?

Or to put it bluntly and more graphically, if the President of the University of the Philippines System were to be dragged kicking and screaming into a people's court to account for the one hundred years the blood sweat and tears of the poor people of the Philippines were used to support UP as the citadel of the True, the Good and the Beautiful in the country, would she be able to give an answer that will be acceptable to the tubercular stevedore in Sasa wharf who eats only once a day and whose children sit in malnourished stupor by the roadside?

Can she answer for the fact that up to 90% of the graduates of the UP College of Medicine are serving the Americans and not the Filipinos who sacrificed for their education and training?

Can she answer for the fact that even as the graduates of UP College of Law top the Bar every year, the halls of Congress in the Philippines are filled with UP lawyers who use their legal gobbledygook to pass laws favorable to the multinational business industries in the country and detrimental to the poor in the Philippines? Can she justify why justice in the Philippines is officially and unofficially for sale and is out of the reach of the ordinary Filipino who lives below poverty level?

Can she answer for the fact that the graduates from the UP College of Agriculture in Los Banos devastate hundreds of thousands of hectares of prime land in Mindanao growing bananas, pineapples and oil palm for the transnational industries while the Philippines must still import the Filipinos' basic needs in rice and sugar?

Can she answer for the fact that UP Geologists and Mining Engineers ravage our mountains and soil our pristine streams, our rivers and our seas and irreparably harm the environment and the health of our indigenous tribes and people as they extract minerals and precious metals for foreign business concerns?

Can she answer for the fact that while UP College of Mass Communication supposedly teaches the loftiest principles of information dissemination and the responsibilities that come with the freedom of speech and ____expression, her graduates lead big Media organizations in the Philippines that are active and willing servants of big business interests and political pressure groups? The Philippine Media is a world wide marvel for its prattle and irresponsibility and for the naked arrogance of its power over our people. It has become more predatory, mercenary and corrupt than the government institutions it denounces every day in print and in lurid broadcast coverages.

I could go down the line and pile up quite a lot of indictments against the UP system. But my time here as a speaker is limited.

Of course, it could be argued that UP's role is that of Education and is different from that of the Government of the Philippines that makes the policies and enforces the laws of the land.

But UP's role as the country's premier institution in education and training precedes that of the government; because it uses the Filipino taxpayers' money to train the leaders who eventually control the reins of government and private enterprises in the Philippines.

If the University of the Philippines takes great pride that her graduates easily top the government examinations in any professional undertaking, the University of the Philippines must also bow its head in shame and sorrow because it cannot shirk the accountability and responsibility for her graduates who raid the coffers of the country, corrupt the morals of our people, and turn the Philippines into an international basket case and permanent laughing stock of the nations of the world.

I am a simple country doctor. And I do not have claims to be part of the academe. But I do not believe in Education and Training for the sake of Education and Training themselves. I do not believe that Education does not have anything to do with Moral Duty and Accountability. I believe that UP, as an educational institution, must have something to do with the clouds of unmitigated materialism and greed that darken the cultural horizon of the Philippines today. I believe that a University education, especially in UP has to do with the constant search for what is Good, what is True and what is Beautiful, no matter how polluted these concepts may have become through their constant prostitution for personal motive and gain. What makes a UP student momentarily flash the bright colors of Nationalism and love of country, and then upon graduation, promptly fall into the grey colors of compromise and conformity just to be able to exist in a way of life that forces him to suppress the shame and the painful voice of conscience within himself, shut himself inside his own ego, praise with bitter half-smiles the oppression and exploitation of his own people so he can beg with his eyes for a small part of the loot to be thrown his way? What dulls the edge of his seething outrage?

I came back to Mindanao from my studies in UP Manila to seek the answers to these questions.

Mindanao is the second largest island in the Philippines. It comprises thirty percent (30%) of the country’s land area and is home to twenty percent (20%) of the population. Seventy five percent (75%) of the Mindanawons are of migrant stock, from the different areas in the Philippines who came to escape the cultural, political and economic baggage that burdened them in their places where they were born. They came prepared to bear the new burdens of adjustments with and consideration for others of different cultures, traditions and religions. They came prepared to work. And work hard for their children and for their children’s children as well. They came prepared to respect others and be respected in their own right.

Mindanao is the richest island in the Philippines. It produces 54% of the Gross National Product but gets only 7% of the national Budget. One senator from Mindanao once describe it as the National Cash Cow that gets only dog food � crumbs from the tables of the rest of the country. But without Mindanao, the entire Philippines would starve to death.

The Philippines is a typical example of external exploitation by the G-7 countries, and Mindanao is the typical example of internal exploitation by the central government in Manila.

But it is here in Mindanao where the real heart of the Philippines beats.

The average Mindanawon is multi-cultural and multi-lingual. He lives in his community, comfortable in his culture, his own way of life, even when his next door neighbor and friend dresses differently, eats differently, talks to his children in another language, and adores another God. His children play happily with the children of people in his community whom his ancestors used to be afraid of and hated and waged continuous wars against.

It is here in Mindanao where the people consider diversity not as a divisive factor but the key to Unity and progress. It is here where we respect the rights of others to their own thinking and culture. Here where the central government is physically and administratively distant, the people have learned that working together in mutual respect and consideration is the key to save our families, our communities and our country.

For generations, your fathers and mine, products of different cultures in the Philippines, have worked hand in hand and side by side in peace and brotherhood with each other and the indigenous peoples here in Mindanao. We belong here. It is only when the Manila government makes moves in Mindanao that devastating wars happen among the inhabitants of our island. It is a past and present government practice that the undesirables in the military and civil services in Luzon and the Visayas are punished for their transgressions by sending them to Mindanao - where they usually wreak havoc on our lives.

Generations of hard work and carefully nurtured goodwill among peoples in our island have been erased by thoughtless and exploitative laws that are passed in Congress in Manila by people who have never been to Mindanao and are even afraid to visit it.

Twenty years or so ago, a group of UP graduates here in Mindanao visited the other sites of UP in other areas in the Philippines like, Baguio, Diliman, Manila, Los Banos, Iloilo and Cebu. And they wondered why there was no UP in Mindanao.

Thus was born a dream. And the dream was brought to a reality ten years later. I have watched UP Mindanao's development through the years as the youngest, least funded and most neglected institution in the UP system. And I have cheered your valiant efforts. I knew in my heart that you would be different from all the other UPs in all the other places in the Philippines because of the legacy of cultural belongingness, respect and tolerance you have been exposed to. And I never doubted your success.

I do not believe that the majority of your students use UP Mindanao only as a jumping board to UP Diliman. Only the most calloused and unseeing students would not swear to the vision and mission of UP Mindanao.

The University of the Philippines in Mindanao is committed to lead in providing affordable quality education, scholarly research, and responsive and relevant extension services to diverse, marginalized and deserving sectors in Mindanao and neighboring regions through its programs in the sciences and the arts inculcating a passion for excellence, creative thinking, and nationalism in the context of cultural diversity in a global community.

As you graduate from the youngest UP institution, aware of your role in community building in Mindanao, you are sending a dare to the older institutions in the University of the Philippines System. Here is UP Mindanao's answer to the failures of the University of the Philippines System: Belong to the Land and to the People, and serve them well!

From here onwards you have crowned yourself with the laurels of commitment to service.

Do not listen when they tell you that the crown of laurels you wear is soaked in disappointments and bitterness and the dried leaves hide thorns and maggots. Do not listen when they say that a life dedicated to others is not a life; that it does not bring food and comfort to you and your children; that it brings you no honor and laurels serve not even as condiments for a meal. Do not sell your life of service to your countrymen for thirty pieces of silver.

Because if you do, then deep in the night, years and years from now, when your remaining hair has turned to silver, a small voice will speak to you, just before you fall asleep. And you will have to listen to it. Or break apart.

And it will be in Spanish. Because it was said by a man who died young, twelve years before the University of the Philippines was born in 1908. He was a man who spent the last years of his life here in the service of our people in Mindanao. And he said it to an old man like me, who had white hairs on his head. And this may well have been spoken by you, the graduates of a young and dynamic UP Mindanao to the old and failing University of the Philippines System.

Cuando tenga canas come esas, senor, y vuelva la vista hacia mi pasado y vea que solo he trabajado para mi, sin haber hecho lo que buenamente podia y debia por el pais que me ha dado todo, por los cuidadanos que me ayudan a vivir, entonces, senor, cada cana me sera una espina y en vez de gloriarme de ellas, me he de avergonzar!

Ug sa ato pa:
Sir, pagabut sa panahon nga ang akong ulo, maora sad kadaghana ang uban susama sa inyo, unya balikon nako ug lantaw ang akong kinabuhi, unya Makita nako nga ang akong mga paningkamut diay, alang lang sa akong kaugalingon ug walay kalabutan sa mga maayong butang nga ako untang nabuhat u di kaha kinahanglan buhaton alang sa lungsod nga mao'y naghatag sa ako sa tanan, alang sa akong mga isigkatao ng mitabang sa ako arun manginabuhi; nianang panahuna, Sir, ang tagsa-tagsa ka uban nga anaa sa akong ulo mahimo ug maidlot nga tunok nga muduksak sa akong panghunahuna ug inay nga mahimayaon ako sa akong katigulangon, iduko hinuon nako ang akong ulo sa tumang kanugon ug kaulaw!

So if there is anything then, that Mindanao has taught you here in University of the Philippines, it is to belong to land, to belong to others, especially those who have made you what you are; to be sensitive to their needs, to constantly consider the other person's way of thinking, in much the same way as you considered everyday, what language to use to talk to the little child of a jeepney conductor who took your fare, or to the daredevil habal-habal driver who took you over the butt breaking roads to your refreshing little UP Mindanao campus.

Look up to the mountain that you see everyday. Breathe in the pure air of Mindanao. This may be your last day in the campus. Take it all in. And remember it well. Most of you will wander far over yonder, but you will never find anything more beautiful.

Because you will never find the True, the Good and the Beautiful in the world, no matter where or how you search, unless you find them first here on that mountain where the gods of our beloved Mindanao dwell, here among your people who made you what you are now, and finally, here in your own heart.

(Dr. Jose M. Tiongco is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine Class 1971. He writes a column titled "Child of the Sun" for MindaNews and is the author of "Child of the Sun Returning," a book about the early years of the Medical Mission Group Hospitals and Health Services Cooperative-Philippines Federation, where he is chief executive officer).

Support This Cinemalaya Full-Length Film Entry

ANG HULING ARAW NG LINGGO

Written and Directed by Nick OlankaAssistant Director: Emman PascualCinematography: Pao PanganEditing: Amrei DizonProduction Design: Roma Regala and Armi CacanindinMusic: Nani NaguitVitalStrats Creative Solutions and Red Door Productions present Ang Huling Araw ng Linggo.Written and directed by UP Film Institute fresh graduate Nick Olanka; and stars Johnny Delgado, Boots Anson-Roa, Jenifer Sevilla, Baron Geisler, Monica Llamas, Arnold Reyes and Angeli Bayani. Featured music by Mica Magsaysay and Aizo.The story spans a week in a life of seven individuals with interconnected narratives. Domeng is involved in networking or multi-level marketing business and plans to encourage his estranged daughter Luna to join in this unscrupulous business. Luna is abandoned by her husband and son so she asks help from her mother Aling Tess. Aling Tess is a land lady who lives alone and fancies a young male boarder named Kulas. Kulas is a grocery store employee who aspires to become a store manager to impress Julie. Julie is a laundry shop attendant who is obsessed with a male costumer named Brian. Brian is a nurse in a local hospital who wants to work abroad so he persuades his girlfriend Sally to provide for his "fixer" fees. An accounting graduate who failed to pass the board exam for two consecutive years, Sally enters Domeng's networking business in the hopes of proving her worth. When she found out that networking is a scam Sally plans to take revenge on Domeng. The film illustrates the interconnectedness of our lives, a cycle of random events in which the decisions we make are as important as the choices we didn't take. Ang Huling Araw ng Linggo will be shown on the following schedule at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.22july sat 12:45pm main theater22july sat 6:15pm mkp hall23july sun 3:30pm little theaterTickets available at the gate.50 php for students100 regular price

Iba Talaga Ang Pulis Pinoy

Nagkaroon ng exam ang agencies ng USA para malaman kung sino sa mga agency ang magaling mag execute ng man-hunt. Ang mga participants ay:
NYPD = New York Police Department, USA
FBI = Federal Bureau of Investigation, USA
CIA = Central Intelligence Agency, USA
PNP = Philippine National Police, Phil (Special International Guest Participant)

Isang puting rabbit ang papakawalan sa isang gubat. Each agencies will be given three (3) months to find the rabbit.

Unang grupong contestant, NYPD. Pumasok sa gubat ang kanilang search and rescue squad, S.W.A.T., at pinalibutan ng mga police ang buong gubat. Ipinasok rin nila sa gubat ang kanilang detectives, at experts sa paghahanap ng nawawala.

After 3 months, lumabas ang NYPD sa gubat. Nag release sila ng press statement, "After 3 months of intensive searching for the white rabbit, we regret to inform you that because the rabbit had a head start, it was able to elude our units, and was able to pass through our dragnet. The rabbit has escaped."

Next ang FBI. Pumasok rin sa gubat mga FBI, dala dala ang mga helicopters, mga sniffing dogs, at sari saring experts para hanapin ang rabbit.

After 3 months, lumabas ang FBI sa gubat. Nag release rin sila ng press statement, "After 3 months of searching for the white rabbit, we had some interesting leads. However, as we are closing in on it's location, somebody must have tipped it off, and it was able to elude us by disguising itself as a deer. The rabbit has escaped."

Next ang CIA. Pumasok ang CIA, at dahil meron silang special powers to request assistance from the US Military, dinala na rin nila ang US Army para tulungan sila sa paghanap.

After 3 months of firefighting, bombing, and special operations, lumabas ang CIA sa gubat. Sabi nila sa press statement, "We used everything at our disposal. We didn't leave any stone unturned. We bombed everything in sight. I'm sure, you will not find the rabbit there anymore. He's probably scattered all around the forest in tiny little pieces!"

Last, but not least, the PNP. Napatawa ang ibang agencies dahil ang pumasok lang sa gubat na PNP ay lima lang. Pero laking gulat na lang nila dahil next day mismo, lumabas ang PNP, dala dala ay isang grizzly bear, na naka posas, bugbog sarado ang mukha, halos sarado ang isang mata dahil sa bugbog, dugu-an, at sumisigaw, "OO NA! OO NA!!! AKO ANG WHITE RABBIT!!! AKO ANG WHITE RABBIT!!!"

Kwentong Kababaliwan

LINGGO noon. Nakatakda ang araw na 'yon para sa date namin ng girlfiend kong si Maji. Pero tumawag s'ya sa 'kin at sinabing cancel muna ang date dahil sasamahan niya daw ang kanyang tita sa isang importanteng lakad. Sabi ko okay lang, naintindihan ko. Subalit dahil wala akong magawa sa bahay at talagang bored ako noon, ako na lang ang pumunta sa mall at nanood ng sine mag-isa. Libang na libang ako sa paggagala sa mall, di ko alam na iyon na pala ang katapusan ng mundo.

Pagpasok ko sa entrada ng sinehan, nagulat ako sa nakita sa may snack bar. Si Maji! At may kasama siya--hindi ang kanyang tita--kundi isang lalaki. Nakaakbay pa ito sa kanya. Shocked ako pero ganunpaman, gusto kong ipaalam sa kanya na nandoon ako at nahuli ko siya. Pero di man lamang s'ya nagulat nang makita ako. Relaxed s'ya at nakangiti pang sinabi sa 'kin: "Tapos na ang lahat sa atin." "Ha?" Di na 'ko nakapagsalita.

Gusto kong magalit sa kanya. Gusto kong sapakin ang lalaki. Gusto kong umiyak.

Pero kinimkim ko ang lahat ng aking naramdaman at sinabing "Wala akong magagawa. Basta kung saan ka masaya…"

Tumalikod ako agad at pumasok sa loob ng sinehan. Doon ko ibinuhos ang lahat ng pinigilan kong lumabas sa aking mga mata. Komedi ang palabas at nagtatawanan ang mga tao sa paligid ko ngunit ako nama'y abala sa pagdadrama sa aking kinauupuan. Natapos ang pelikula na di ko naintindihan ang istorya. Wala ako sa sarili hanggang sa pag-uwi ko sa boarding house.

Kinabukasan, nagdesisyon akong umuwi sa probinsiya namin upang makalimot. Mataas ang araw noon at mainit ang biyahe, pero wala pa ring tigil ang ulan at bagyo sa aking mga mata. Mabigat pa sa aking mga bagahe ang dinadala ko sa aking dibdib. Kahit na wala pa kaming isang taon ni Maji, masakit pa rin sa 'kin ang nangyari dahil mahal ko talaga s'ya. Di pa man nakakalabas ng Maynila ang bus na aking sinasakyan, bigla kong naisip na bumaba. Wala nang silbi pang mabuhay kaya naisip kong magpakamatay na lang.

Inakyat ko ang isang billboard ng GMA7 kung saan nakalarawan dito ang final 14 ng Starstruck. Dream, believe, survive. "Kagaguhan!" sabi ko. "Tingnan ko lang kung makaka-survive pa 'ko pag tumalon ako mula rito...maliban na lang kung may pipigil." Pero wala ngang pumigil. Dahil walang nagmamalasakit. Walang nagmamahal. Tumalon ako. "Aaaahhh...blag!"

Nabagok ang aking ulo sa gulong ng trak ng MMDA na sa mga oras na 'yon ay nagsasagawa ng wet flag scheme. Hindi naman ako namatay. Wala lang akong maalala pagbangon ko. "Sino ako? Anong ginagawa ko rito?" tanong ko sa sarili ko. Nagka-amnesia ako.

Mula noon ay nagpalaboy-laboy ako sa lansangan. Sa ilalim ng overpass ako natutulog at doo'y madalas na ka-jamming ko ang mga taong-grasa at mga rugby boys. Namalimos ako sa daan, papunas-punas ng mga sapatos ng pasahero ng jeep, o kaya'y humihingi ng 'love offering' sa mga pasahero ng bus. Umasenso naman ako hanggang sa makapagtinda na 'ko ng fishball, squidball, at kwek-kwek.

Kung anu-anong trabaho ang pinasukan ko para lang may maipanlaman sa kumukulo kong tiyan. Nagbenta rin ako ng mga pirated na CD, VCD, at DVD. Pero di pa rin sapat ang kinikita ko sa pagbebenta ng mga produkto kaya ibenenta ko na rin pati ang aking sariling laman. Nagpagamit ako sa kung sinu-sinong bakla at mga matrona. Kumita ako ng malaki. Subalit sadyang malupit sa akin ang tadhana dahil sa isang iglap ay nawala lahat ng aking pinaghirapan.

Nadukot ang wallet ko nang makipagsiksikan ako sa libing ni FPJ. Nalungkot akong lubha at nawalan ng pag-asang makabangon pang muli. Nang biglang tumunog ang cellphone ko. May nag- text. Sabi sa message, ang Oracle daw ang tanging makapagbabalik sa aking alaala. Nag-reply ako: hu u? Pero di na s'ya nag-text back. Di ko alam kung saan ko hahanapin si Oracle.

Nilibot ko ang kamaynilaan. Ipina-blotter sa pulis. Ngunit kahit anino ni Oracle o ni Madam Auring ay di ko nakita. Naisip kong baka wala s'ya sa siyudad kaya pumunta ako sa mga probinsiya. Nakarating ako sa kabundukan ng Quezon Province pero mga illegal loggers lang ang nadatnan ko. Nilisan ko ang lugar na 'yon at sa pagbaba ko ng bundok, nasalubong ko ang mga nagtatakbuhang...hobbits! -- sina Frodo, Samwise, Merry, Pippin, at si... Dagul yata
ang pangalan ng isa. Hinahabol daw sila, hindi ng mga ringwraiths kundi mga..battle droids ng Starwars! "Huh?! Ano 'to?!! Nasa'n ba ako?!!!" Sa sobrang lito ay nakitakbo na rin ako. Napakaraming kalaban. Libo-libong droids. Kakampi pa yata nila ang mga robot sa I, Robot.

Mabuti na lang at dumating ang mga astig na superheroes: sina Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Daredevil, Blade, Van Helsing, Elektra, X-Men, Charlie's Angels, Powerpuff Girls, the Incredibles, Voltes V, Mulawin, Capt. Barbell, Darna, Volta, Krystala, Lastikman, Panday, Andres Bonifacio...marami pang iba.

Madaling natalo ang mga kalaban. Subalit...sugatan si Frodo. May tama siya. At may iniabot siya sa akin --isang singsing! May elvish inscriptions dito na sa tingin ko'y hindi kayang i-decode kahit ni Dan Brown. Pero bago pa man malagutan ng hininga si Frodo, nasabi niya sa akin ang kahulugan ng nakasulat: "God will never leave you empty. He will replace everything you lost. If He asks you to put something down, it's because He wants you to pick up something better and best for you." Inilagay ko ang singsing sa bulsa ng aking pantalon at nangakong iingatan ko iyon.

Samantala, nagdiwang ang mga superheroes sa pagtatagumpay. Gumimik sila sa Libis at nag-inuman. Sasama sana ako pero sabi ko kailangan kong umuwi ng bahay dahil ending na ng Lovers in Paris.

Pero naalala ko na may amnesia pala ako at di ko alam kung saan ako nakatira kaya sumama na rin ako. Habang nagdi-disco ang Justice League kasama ang Marvel superheroes, nagtugtugan at nagkantahan naman ang mga anime' heroes. Panalo sa Japan!

May ledge dancing pa sina Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Black Mamba, at Sailor Moon! Pero di rin kami nagtagal sa lugar na 'yon. May nagyaya kasi na pumunta sa Baywalk dahil may show daw doon ang The Bodies. Ang saya-saya! Idagdag mo na lang si Kuya Germs, kahit wala nang tulugan!

Subalit naudlot ang kasayahang iyon nang biglang lumindol... at mula sa Manila Bay ay dumating ang isang dambuhalang... TSUNAMI!!! Swooossshhh!!! Naitaboy ang mga superheroes. Hindi nakayanan ng kanilang powers na pigilin ang dumating na sakuna. Mabilis na bumaha ang paligid at nalunod kaming lahat. Oo, pati sina Aquaman, Marina, at Nemo. Patay kaming lahat. Dumilim ang kapaligiran. Katahimikan.

"Gising! Gising!" Isang tinig ng lalaki ang narinig ko. Pagdilat ko, nakita ko ang isang lalaki. "May tiket na po ba kayo? Sa'n po kayo bababa?" "Huh?!" nagulat ako. Kunduktor pala iyon ng bus. Panaginip lang pala ang lahat! Nasa bus pa pala ako at pauwi ng probinsiya. "Sa Tarlac po," sabi ko sa kanya pero ang mga mata ko'y nakatitig sa kanyang t-shirt na may nakasulat na "the Oracle". Parang narinig ko pa si Morpheus na bumubulong: "Welcome to the real world..."

Buhay pa ako. May pamilya at mga kaibigang nagmamahal sa akin. May tirahang nauuwian, may magandang hanapbuhay, at... virgin pa 'ko!

Habang nasa biyahe, naisip ko, napakababaw na dahilan pala ang iwan ka ng boyfriend o girlfriend mo para magpakamatay ka. I have to stand up and move on. Lalaki ako at di dapat ako maging mahina. Di dapat ako maging tanga para sa isang gaga at walang kwentang babae. Naisip ko rin na mabuti na rin ang nangyari at nakilala ko nang maaga ang tunay niyang kulay bago pa man humaba ang relasyon namin. Hindi siya ang karapat-dapat sa akin.

Nasa gate na'ko ng aming bahay nang may tumawag sa aking pangalan. Si Rizi, kababata ko, kapitbahay namin. Sabi niya umalis daw ang lahat ng tao sa bahay namin at iniwan sa kanya ang susi. Nang abutin ko ang susi sa kanya, doon ko lang s'ya nakaharap nang malapitan at doon ko rin lang napansin na maganda pala siya. Matapos akong magpasalamat ay sinuklian n'ya 'ko ng isang matamis na ngiti. (Cue: new Coca-cola theme song)

Pagpasok sa bahay, diretso agad ako sa banyo upang makapaghilamos. Maginaw sa loob ng banyo at malamig ang tubig. Pero may naramdaman akong mainit na bagay sa bulsa ng aking pantalon. Dinukot ko ito at nakita ko ang isang... singsing.

UP Press Release: 19 July 2006

UP Holds "Tagulaylay" Procession July 20 To Denounce Abduction Of Two Students

July 20 marks the 24th day of the forced disappearance of two University of the Philippines (UP) students. The UP community remembers this day with a requiem procession.

UP students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan, together with a farmer, were abducted by masked men in Hagonoy, Bulacan last June 26. Prior to their forced disappearance, the two students were working as volunteers for a peasant organization.

Karen and Sherlyn are now two of the 181 victims of forced disappearances in the last five years. Since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed office in 2001, 705 activists have also been killed.

In this light, Tigil-Paslang UP -- a broad alliance of students, faculty and staff formed in the wake of Karen and Sherlyn's disappearance -- will organize "Tagulaylay: Hinagpis at Pakikibaka," a requiem procession for the victims of Macapagal-Arroyo's state terror on July 20 (Thursday), 5 p.m. at the Quezon Hall in UP Diliman.

The activity aims to show the UP community's collective grief and indignation over the continuing violations of the people's civil liberties and the demand that Karen and Sherlyn be released. It includes lamentations, protest songs and poetry prepared by faculty members and students. A procession around the academic oval will culminate with the laying down of 100 crosses at the Sunken Garden to represent the growing number of victims of human rights violations.

Those who will join are encouraged to wear black and red and bring candles.

It may be recalled that UP President Emerlinda Roman as early as last July 3 wrote to the secretaries of the Department of National Defense and the Department of Interior and Local Government asking their assistance to locate the two missing students.

Nine days after (July 12), UP Diliman's University Council (UC) -- composed of assistant, associate and full professors -- passed a resolution expressing "great concern" over the inaction of government authorities to produce the two missing students. For their part, UP students through their University Student Council (USC) and other organizations have initiated a number of activities to call attention to the plight of the two students including a rally in Mendiola which was violently dispersed, as well as a mass and symbolic candle-lighting at the UP Parish of the Holy Sacrifice.

Despite these initiatives, Karen and Sherlyn remain missing.

Tigil-Paslang UP is the response of the concerned constituents of UP to the spate of killings, abductions, torture, illegal arrests under Arroyo's Oplan Bantay Laya. Among its convenors are National Artist Bien Lumbera, Faculty Regent Roland Simbulan, Student Regent Raffy Sanchez, Former CSWCD Dean Angelito Manalili, Former CSSP Dean Connie Paz, Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, Dr. Ramon Guillermo, Dr. Giovanni Tapang, Dr. Fidel Nemenzo, Prof. Judy Taguiwalo, Prof. Sarah Raymundo, Prof. Danilo Arao, Buboy Cabrera and others. The students are also represented by Paolo Alfonso of the USC, as well as STAND-UP, NNARA-YOUTH, AGHAM Youth and GABRIELA Youth, among others.

For details, please call Profs. Judy Taguiwalo, (0916) 782-9666; and Sarah Raymundo, (0918) 693-3181.

Kin Of Missing UP Students File Habeas Corpus Petition

By Tetch Torres (INQ7.net)
Last updated 05:31pm (Mla time) 07/17/2006

PARENTS of two missing students from the University of the Philippines (UP) have asked the Supreme Court to compel the military, which several quarters believe to be behind the disappearances, to release the students from custody.

In a Petition for Habeas Corpus, Erlinda and Asher Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño said Major Generals Romeo Tolentino and Jovito Palparan; Lieutenant Colonel Rogelio Boac, a Lieutenant Samson and a certain Arnel Enriquez should release Sherlyn Cadapan, Karen Empeño and Manuel Merino from their custody.

"(We) have exhausted all efforts legally available and that there is no other plain, speedy and adequate remedy to protect the rights of the victims except by this application for a Writ of Habeas Corpus," the parents said.

Sherlyn Cadapan, Karen Empeño and Manuel Merino were allegedly taken by elements of the Philippine Army from a house in Hagonoy, Bulacan last June 26.

The parents point to troops of the 56th Infantry Battalion in Bulacan as the ones who allegedly abducted the three.

They said witnesses William and Wilfredo Ramos saw how the military tied up and led the three to a stainless jeep with plate number 597.

"The military camp which was usually open to accept them as visitors was now closed and they were not allowed inside," the petitioners said.

They added that a barbecue vendor outside the camp asked them who it was they were looking for: "'Yong mga babae ba (Are you looking for the women)?"

When they replied, "Yes," the vendor "did not say a word."

They also cited Palparan's statement that the two girls were not students anymore.

Such statements, they said, meant Palparan knows the whereabouts of the three missing activists.

Vanity Fair

The worst way to wake up squirming in the morning is to read the newspaper via Internet and find how much propaganda has been heaped by your government, particularly with reference to your church.

I am very appalled with the way the Arroyo Administration has been handling its publicity in relation to the Holy See. When John Paul II died, Gloria Arroyo gave an interview to CNN during the wake for the demised pontiff and said that she had received blessings to run for President from the deceased.

Now, a few months later, in an audience with Benedict XVI, Mrs. Arroyo claims that the present Pope does not look kindly toward the supposed meddling of the Philippine Catholic Hierarchy in Philippine secular politics. This, after presenting the Pope the signed resolution abolishing death penalty in the Philippines in an apparent move to court the Vatican's support in changing the Constitution.

While I personally support the abolition of the death penalty, the recent move of the Administration smells of politics and inconsistency. One only has to remember the photos of a docile and prayerful Gloria Arroyo in a rally in support of rape victim "Baby" Echegaray so as to cringe in disgust. After all, when you see the situation from a broader perspective, it would be much better to have a lawful way of punishing criminals than to have a paralegal way of silencing dissenters. No matter how meritorious the move is to be pro-life superficially, the rate journalists and activists are killed during this regime negates all claims of sanctity.

Then, as if this still wasn't enough, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo has begun his campaign to present for canonization two nuns from the Arroyo-Tuason clan. One of the nuns is Rosario Arroyo y Pidal, whose surname she most unfortunately shares some generations hence with the infamous Jose Pidal. I don't know how people are canonized as saints but if ever, this is the first time a secular government in recent times has involved itself in the declaration of who is blessed and who is not. We then are lead to the premise this Administration brandishes, that the Philippine bishops are meddling into politics. If this is not meddling in the canonical processes of the Catholic Church, I don't know what is. If Sor Rosario would be proclaimed blessed, I really hope the Vatican would change the Pidal surname to another. As a Catholic, I cannot bear to ask a blessed nun with Pidal in the name to intercede for me.

Tsk, tsk. With the way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if this Administration asks for the canonization of La Gloria or the elevation to the cardinalate of Mike if and when it deems it fit.

***This post was taken from a friend’s Friendster blog.***