In commemorat ion of the Universi ty of the Phil ippines' centennial , the Phil ippine Collegian looks back on one hundred years of his tory.

SUMMING UP

Ika-86 taon • Blg. 24 • 6 peb 2009

O p i s y a l n a l i n g g u h a n g p a h a y a g a n n g m g a m a g - a a r a l n g U n i b e r s i d a d n g P i l i p i n a s - D i l i m a n

Philippine Collegian

February 4 , 1971UP students formed human barricades to prevent the entry of armed forces into the

UP Campus. This was a project against drastic oil price hikes during the Marcos regime, and became the start of a series of radical demonstrations collectively known as the Diliman Commune

05 kULTURA 08 LATHALAIN

Budget Constraints

Fair Grounds

Pagpili sa bagong Student Regent,

tuloy na

Mayorya ng mga estudyante, pabor sa CRSRS

Marjohara Tucay

Nakatakda nang hirangin ang susunod na Stu-dent Regent (SR) gamit

ang 13 taong-gulang na Codi-fied Rules for Student Regent Selection (CRSRS) matapos itong ratipikahin ng mayorya ng mga estudyante sa buong UP System

sa isang referendum.Ayon sa pinal na tala ng opisina ng SR, mahigit 55

porsyento o 26,118 ng kabuuang 47,365

bilang ng mga estudyante sa

buong UP

System ang lumahok sa referen-dum na isinagawa mula Enero 26 hanggang 31, kung saan namili ang mga estudyante kung pa-bor sila o hindi sa CRSRS bilang batayan sa pagpili ng SR, na tang-ing kinatawan ng mga estudyante sa UP sa Board of Regents (BOR), pinakamataas na lupong tagapag-pasya sa pamantasan.

Mahigit 73 porsyento o 19,068 estudyante ang bumoto ng “yes” upang panatilihin ang kasaluku-yang CRSRS, samantalang halos 26 porsyento o 6,747 naman ang

pumili ng “no” laban dito. (Su-mangguni sa sidebar 1)

Ani Student Regent Shahana Abdulwahid, “Isang kolektibong tagumpay ang naganap na ref-erendum. Muling pinatunayan ng mga estudyante na hindi sila apathetic at handa nilang pro-teksyunan ang mga institusyong sila rina ang nagtaguyod.”

Alinsunod sa bagong UP Char-ter, bago magpatuloy ang paghi-rang sa bagong SR, kailangang

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Philippine Collegian | Biyernes, 6 Peb 200902 Balita

Patricia Aireen Sarmiento

Maglalaban para sa iba’t ibang posisyon sa Uni-versity Student Coun-

cil (USC) ang 72 kandidato pag-dating ng halalan sa Pebrero 25.

Binubuo ang USC, ang pinaka-mataas na konseho ng mga mag-aaral sa isang yunit ng UP, ng tagapangulo, pangalawang taga-pangulo, 12 konsehal at 18 kina-tawan ng iba’t ibang kolehiyo.

Ayon sa opisyal na listahan ng University Student Electoral Board (USEB), tatakbo ang 23 kandidato mula sa Alyansa ng mga Mag-aaral Para sa Panlipu-nang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (AL-YANSA), 19 mula sa Nagkakai-sang Iskolar para sa Pamantasan

72 kandidato maghaharap sa halalan sa USC

at Sambayanan (KAISA), at 25 kandidato sa ilalim ng partidong Student Alliance for the Ad-vancement of Democratic Rights in UP (STAND UP). Lima naman ang tatakbo bilang independent candidate.

Mula sa ALYANSA, si Niña Marie Angela Acasio, nasa ikaap-at na taon sa industrial engineer-ing, ang lalaban sa posisyon ng tagapangulo, at si Joseph Miguel Guttierez, kasalukuyang konse-hal ng USC, bilang pangalawang tagapangulo.

Sa ilalim ng partidong KAISA, tatakbo bilang tagapangulo si Ti-tus Chua Tan mula sa College of Science, na tumakbo para sa po-sisyon ng pangalawang pangulo noong isang taon, at si Ramon

Miguel Abeleda, kasalukuyang konsehal ng student council ng College of Engineering, bilang ikalawang tagapangulo.

Si Airah Cadiogan, kasalu-kuyang pangalawang tagapan-gulo ng USC at tagapangulo ng STAND UP, ang ihaharap ng partido sa pagka-tagapangulo. Susundan siya ni Jaqueline Joy Eroles, kasalukuyang konsehal para ng USC, bilang pangala-wang tagapangulo.

Kumpleto ang mga kandidato

ng KAISA at STAND UP para sa 12 posisyon ng pagkakonsehal, ha-bang siyam ang mula sa ALYAN-SA, at dalawa ang walang partido. Magmumula naman sa STAND UP ang 14 na kandidato bilang kinatawan ng iba’t ibang kolehiyo, 12 sa ALYANSA, walo sa KAISA, at tatlo ang walang partido.

Samantala, kapwa may tatlong kandidato ang STAND UP at ang KAISA na hindi pinahintulutang tumakbo ng USEB dahil sa mga kulang na dokumento.

Ayon sa dalawang partido, naghain na sila ng mga apela sa USEB at hinihintay na lamang ang mga kulang na dokumento mula sa mga kolehiyo. Nakatak-dang ilabas ng USEB ang resulta ng kanilang deliberasyon sa mga apela sa Pebrero 6.

Magsisimula ang opisyal na pangangampanya para sa ha-lalan ng USC sa Pebrero 9 at matatapos sa Pebrero 24, kung kailan gaganapin ang Miting de Avance. n

Dianne Marah E. Sayaman

An Upsilonian sophomore was attacked in class by two members of the Sig-

ma Rho fraternity in the Depart-ment of Electronics and Electrical Engineering building on January 28.

Office of Student Affairs Coor-dinator Oscar Ferrer confirmed that the incident was fraternity-related and involved the frater-nities Upsilon Sigma Phi and Sigma Rho.

Two unidentified men at-tacked sports science major Al-fred Tanunliong and injured him

Sigma Rhoans attack Upsilonian in EEE

on the head with a short pipe in the Science, Technology and So-ciety class at around 12:20 pm in the said building.

According to eyewitnesses in-terviewed by the Collegian, two men in casual clothes entered the class and left shortly after, carrying the pipe. The police blotter indicated that the men left in a silver Toyota car with plate number ZEW 112.

A Collegian source privy to the incident claimed that Tanun-liong is a member of Upsilon and that the attackers are from Sigma Rho.

Ferrer told the Collegian that

Staying on Top

nmaroon Booters forward jose adonis santos strikes the ball towards the goal in a free kick during their game with the University of the east on February 1 at ateneo erenchun Field. the maroons won, 1-0, and took the solo lead in the overall football standings in the first round of the tournament. om narayan a. VeLasco

Pangunang pagdaluyongLagay ng pilipinas sa unang hagupit ng pandaigdigang krisis-pampinansya

Marjohara Tucay

pagbungad pa lang ng taon, ram-dam na sa iba’t ibang bansa ang paglala ng pandaigdigang krisis-pampinansiyang nag-ugat sa pagka-lugi ng malalaking kumpanya sa es-tados Unidos noong nakaraang taon. maraming higanteng korporasyon tulad ng microsoft, disney at toyota ang nakararanas na ng pagkalugi, sa-mantalang libu-libong mga mangga-gawa na ang nawalan at mawawalan pa ng trabaho.

sa taunang global economic fo-rum sa davos, switzerland noong nakaraang linggo, inihayag ng iba’t ibang lider ng mga bansa ang ka-nilang pagkabahala sa kasalukuyang krisis, na ayon sa World Bank at in-

ternational monetary Fund ay mas malala pa ang magiging epekto kaysa great depression noong 1920’s at sa krisis-pampinansiya sa asya noong 1997.

ngunit ayon sa talumpati ni gloria arroyo sa nasabing pagtitipon, “the philippines is on a path to permanent economic growth and stability.” ipi-nagmalaki pa niyang may “sound fun-damentals” umano ang ekonomiya ng bansa kaya handa ito sa anumang epekto ng krisis.

sa isang bansang inaangkat maging mga pako’t turnilyo at may ekonomiyang patuloy na umaasa sa kitang panlabas , tila isang napakalak-ing mito ang iginigiit ng gobyerno. ihahayag ng sumusunod na mga tala ang tunay na lagay ng pilipinas sa pangunang pagdaluyong ng krisis:

SUMA

TOTALPandaigdigang kalagayan

tinatayang pagbagal ng paglago ng pandaigdigang gross domestic product (gdp) mula 2008 patungong 2009, ayon sa european Union: 3.3 porsyento tungong 0.5 porsyento

porsyento ng pagbaba ng kita ng disney themeparks sa buong mundo noong isang taon bunsod ng krisis: 24

porsyento ng pagbaba ng kita ng chrysler, general motors at Ford dahil sa pagkaunti ng bumibili ng kotse sa estados Unidos: 48

Bilang ng inaasahang mawawalan ng trabaho dahil sa krisis sa buong daigdig sa pagsapit ng kalagitnaan ng taon, ayon sa World Bank: 40 milyon

Kabuuang populasyon ng argen-tina noong 2008: 39.7 milyon

tagal nang aabutin bago makaraos ang pandaigdigang merkado sa kasa-lukuyang krisis-pampinansiya, ayon sa national Bureau of economic re-search ng estados Unidos: isang taon o higit pa

tagal nang aabutin bago makaraos ang pilipinas sa krisis, ayon sa national economic and development author-ity: dalawa hanggang tatlong taon

Pagbulusok ng ekonomiyaporsyento ng paglago ng gdp ng

pilipinas sa unang kuwarto ng 2008: 7.1

porsyento ng paglago ng gdp ng bansa noong ikatlong kuwarto ng 2008: 4.6

porsyento ng gdp ng pilipinas na nanggagaling mula sa pakikipagka-lakalan sa ibang bansa, ayon sa na-tional statistical coordination Board (nscB): 98.9

porsyento ng exports ng pilipinas na napupunta sa mga bansang labis na tinamaan ng pandaigdigang krisis gaya ng Us, japan, singapore at tai-wan, ayon sa nso: 84

Kasalukuyang populasyon ng pilipi-nas, ayon sa taya ng national statistics

office (nso): 92.2 milyonBilang ng mga pilipinong walang

trabaho noong 2008, ayon sa nso: 4.14 milyon

Bilang ng mga pilipinong walang trabaho noong taong iyon, ayon sa taya ng ibon Foundation: 10.7 milyon

Bilang ng mga pilipinong walang trabaho noong panahon ng krisis-pampinansiya sa asya noong 1997: 7 milyon

Hagupit sa sektor ng paggawa

Bilang ng mga pilipinong nawalan ng trabaho sa loob at labas ng bansa dulot ng pagtitipid ng mga kumpan-ya mula noong oktubre 2008 hang-gang sa kasalukuyan, ayon sa de-partment of Labor and employment (doLe): 23,485

Bilang ng mga nawalan ng tra-baho sa industriya ng paggawa ng kotse at elektrisidad mula noong ok-tubre 2008, ayon sa Kilusang mayo Uno: 19,422

Bilang ng mga mawawalan ng

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Continued on p.10

03BalitaPhilippine Collegian | Huwebes, 7 Ago 2008 03BalitaPhilippine Collegian | Biyernes, 6 Peb 2009

ratipikahin ng mayorya ng mga estudyante ang CRSRS sa isang referendum.

Pabor ang lahat ng yunitNagwagi ang “yes” sa 13 yunit

ng UP sa Baguio, Cebu, Diliman, Iloilo, Los Baños, Manila, Miag-ao, Mindanao, Pampanga, Ta-cloban, mga extension campus sa Baler, Aurora at Palo,Leyte at sa Open University.

Nakapagtala ng pinakamataas na botong “yes” sa UP Mindanao kung saan mahigit 98 porsyento o 737 ng mga estudyante ang sumang-ayon sa CRSRS, habang apat lamang ang bumoto ng “no.”

Umabot naman sa 54 porsyento ang voter turnout sa UP Diliman (UPD), kung saan lumahok ang 12,097 estudyante mula sa ka-buuang 22,348. Mahigit 65 porsy-ento o 7,962 estudyante ng UPD ang sumang-ayon sa pagratipika ng CRSRS, habang 33 porsyento naman ang bumoto ng “no”.

Nagwagi ang “yes” sa 18 kole-hiyo sa UPD habang lumamang ang botong “no”sa Asian Institute of Tourism, School of Economics, National College of Public Admin-istration at sa mga kolehiyo ng Law at Business Administration.

Samantala, pinakamataas ang naging voter turnout sa UP Ma-nila (UPM) School of Health Sci-ences extention campus sa Palo, Leyte na nagtala ng halos 97 porsyentong voter turnout o 154 sa 159 nitong estudyante.

Nagtala naman ng pinakam-ababang voter turnout ang UP Open University na nakakalap lamang ng apat na porsyento o 84 na boto mula sa 1,916 nitong estudyante.

Mahigit isang porsyento o 277 balota sa buong UP System ang hindi isinama sa bilang dahil “spoiled” o may labis na guhit at marka ang mga ito.

Samantala, may 26 “chal-lenged votes” dahil hindi umano kabilang sa opisyal na listahan ng mga botante ang may-ari ng mga ito, at nakatakdang talakayin sa isasagawang opisyal na canvass-ing sa Bulwagang Recto sa UPD

sa Biyernes.

Pagpili sa bagong SRAyon kay Abdulwahid, magla-

labas umano ng memorandum ang opisina ng SR sa susunod na dalawang linggo upang ihayag ang pagsisimula ng nominasyon para sa bagong rehente.

Kaugnay nito, aniya, maglulun-sad umano ang mga kolehiyo ng mga pagtitipon upang imbitahan ang mga estudyante na magno-mina ng kandidato para sa SR.

Maaari umanong tumagal ng

Mayorya ng mga estudyante, pabor sa CRSRS

Pagpili sa bagong Student Regent, tuloy na

Proseso ng pagpili sa Student Regentayon sa codified rules for student regent selection na pinagtibay ng mayorya ng mga estudyante ng Up sa pamamagitan ng naganap na referendum, narito ang mga susunding hakbang upang makapili ng bagong sr:1. NominasyonBukas ang nominasyon sa kahit sinong estudyanteng naka-enroll sa Up sa oras ng nominasyon; namalagi o may residency sa pamantasan na isang taon, kabilang na ang leave of absence; mamamayan ng pilipinas; at may track record na sumasalamin sa kanyang dedikasyon sa pagsisilbi sa mga estudyante. matapos tanggapin ang nominasyon, kinakailangang magsumite ang nominado ng vision statement, curriculum vitae at biodata sa college student council (csc) ng kolehiyong kinabibilangan niya.

2. Pagpili sa kolehiyomatapos ang nominasyon, pipili ang mga miyembro ng csc na bubuo sa college search committee for sr selection ng hanggang dalawang nominadong i-eendorso sa general assembly of student councils (gasc). gayon din ang gagagawin sa autonomous nay unit kung saan sa halip na csc, University student council ang pipili ng hanggang dalawang nominado.

3. Prosesong System-wide Bubuo ng isang gasc ang lahat ng mga Usc at csc sa buong Up upang pumili ng sr. matapos magpakilala at maghain ng plataporma ng bawat nominado mula sa bawat yunit, pipili ang gasc ng tatlong kandidato at mula doon ay hihirang ng magiging susunod na sr.

yunit ng Up Bilang ng mga estudyante

Bilang ng bumoto porsyento Bilang ng

bumoto ng yes porsyento Bilang ng bumoto ng no porsyento

Baguio 2,216 1,708 77 1,680 98 14 1

Baler 61 58 95 54 93 3 5

cebu 1,161 846 73 767 91 74 9

diliman 22,348 12,097 54 7,962 66 3,995 33

iloilo 925 562 61 532 95 23 4

Los Banos 9,748 5,063 52 4,025 79 982 19

manila 4,975 2,754 55 1,500 54 1,243 45

miag-ao 1,348 979 73 878 90 71 7

mindanao 871 749 86 737 98 4 1

open University 1,916 84 4 54 64 18 21

palo 159 154 97 105 68 42 27

pampanga 570 408 72 371 91 29 7

tacloban 1,067 656 61 403 61 249 38

Kabuuan 47,365 26,118 55 19,068 73 6,747 26Sanggunian: Opisina ng Student Regent

Sidebar 1: Pinal na resulta ng Student Regent referendum

dalawang buwan ang proseso ng pagpili, mula nominasyon hang-gang sa muling pagdaraos ng General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) na hihirang sa bagong SR, ani Abdulwahid. (Su-mangguni sa sidebar 2)

Dagdag niya, wala pa umanong naitatakdang pinal na araw para sa GASC ngunit maaaring sa Abril ito ganapin upang hindi sumabay sa mga pagsusulit. Ma-

nanatili umano siyang rehente hanggang hindi pa nahihirang ang hahalili sa kanya.

Magsisimula ang isang taong termino ng bagong SR sa Abril sa oras na mahirang siya ng mayorya ng mga kasapi ng GASC, aniya.

Susunod na mga hakbangAyon kay Airah Cadiogan, pan-

galawang tagapangulo ng Uni-versity Student Council, magsasa-

gawa muli ng information drive ukol sa SR selection process kasa-bay ng panahon ng nominasyon upang lubos na maunawaan ng mga estudyante kung ano ang nilalaman ng CRSRS bago piliin ang susunod na SR.

Ani Abdulwahid, kasabay ng information drive, nararapat na rin umanong magpasa ang mga student council ng kanilang mga panukalang rebisyon sa CRSRS

upang masimulan nang maaga ang pagtalakay hinggil dito.

Saad niya, naiparating na sa administrasyon ng UP ang resul-ta ng referendum at wala naman umanong naging pagtutol dito.

Nairaos kahit kulang ang pondo

Sa taya ni Abdulwahid, kung isasama ang pagkain at iba pang gastusin para sa mga kagamitan noong referendum, aabot ng P1 milyon ang kabuuang gastos, bagaman P60,000 lang ang ib-inigay ng administrasyon ng UP.

Napunan, aniya, ang kakulan-gan sa pamamagitan ng ambag ng mga dating SR at boluntaryong tulong mula sa mga estudyante.

Dagdag pa niya, malaking tulong ang naibigay ng mga estudyanteng boluntaryong tumu-long magbantay ng mga presinto at nagpalaganap ng impormasyon ukol sa CRSRS para maging matagumpay ang referendum.

Para kay Cadiogan, kailangang manatiling mapagmatyag ng mga estudyante hanggang sa makahi-rang na ng bagong rehente. n

Final Countnstudent regent shahana abdulwahid holds the last batch of official results from the technology management center to complete the final computation for ratification of the codified rules for student regent selection on February 3.(left) officials pack up after the tallying of the student referendum votes at the Vinzons hall precint on February 2. the referendum is a success with a 55% voter turnout, 73% of which voted “yes” while 26% voted “no”. Final results will be officially announced at the claro m. recto hall on February 6. timothy medrano

SR.. mula sa p.1

Philippine Collegian | Biyernes, 6 Peb 200904 Balita

Richard Jacob Dy

The UP men’s volleyball team has secured a slot in the final four after win-

ning a thrilling match against the Adamson University (AdU) Falcons in the 71st season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines at the Far Eastern University (FEU) gym last Janu-ary 31.

Fearless spikes from UP’s Dominico Ramon Lucindo, Gi-ancarlo Ramos and captain ball Jan Paolo Martinez, and nonstop kills from Lloyd Arden Belgado marked the early strength of the UP Fighting Maroons to end the first set in their favor with 25-21. “Mas focused kami ngayon. Yung dating [gameplan] ng team, malaki ang difference ngayon,” said Martinez.

The Falcons posed a threat at the middle of round two after Lucindo’s failed dive led the play to a tie, 13-13. The back-to-back scores from the Falcons were, however, trampled by Belgado’s spike and Martinez’s block as the second period ended in favor of

Fighting Maroons destroy AdU Falcons, secure final four slotLady Maroons suffer ninth loss to Lady Falcons

the Maroons, 25-21.The third round proved that

the Falcons did not lie resting as they worked with impres-sive switches, spikes and nearly endless attacks overshadowing impressive showings from UP’s Gerald Magtoto and Luis An-tonio Aguilan to end the game with 18-25, in favor, this time, of the AdU Falcons.

Streak of spikes from both Maroons and Falcons opened the fourth round. After a dive from UP’s Luis Miguel Apostol to save the ball, Belgado killed two to break a tie in favor of the Maroons, 7-6. UP’s Michael Jor-dan Arda’s spikes and Magtoto’s dink ended the game with a UP win, 25-23.

Vip Isada, head coach of UP men’s volleyball team, said, “We are experimenting in a new for-mation for a strategy on how to beat [frontrunner University of Santo Tomas] and we are trying to aim for first place [this sea-son].”

According to the UP varsity office, the men’s volleyball team currently ranks fourth with only

Katherine Elona

In accordance with the Presi-dential Task Force on Educa-tion’s (PTFE) curricular reform

proposal, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) sug-gested a five-year college system, which students and other groups say will still be ineffective in im-proving the country’s education system and solving its problems.

The five-year college system, consisting of a two-year pre-university program followed by a three-year specialization course in place of the present four-year scheme, is currently being studied, said CHED Executive Director Julito Vitriolo during a dialogue with different student organizations on February 2.

This system, which will be sub-jected to consultation with school administrations once finalized, is a resolution to the “relatively short [10-year] basic education program” in the country, as other nations have 12, added Vitriolo.

However, this move shows

‘5-year college system fails to address education problems’

how the government misses the point of granting quality edu-cation as it could instead train teachers and improve school fa-cilities and review the “mediocre [academic] programs” of certain schools, said Jaqueline Eroles, chair of the University Student Council student rights and wel-fare committee.

National Union of Students of the Philippines Chair Alvin Pe-ters said the government should instead pay attention on basic education reforms such as mak-ing Philippine education dem-ocratically-accessible by giving state universities and colleges sufficient subsidies.

For foreign purposesIn a statement, CHED said the

proposed education system will produce “internationally compa-rable” and “globally competitive” graduates as well as improve the quality of education in the country.

Nursing and education subjects are to be “spread out” as these are “cramped up in 4 years and 3 summers,” said Vitriolo. Being

some of the “in demand” profes-sions abroad, these courses have to be prolonged since the current 10-year basic education program is not “recognized globally,” add-ed CHED in a statement.

The comparatively short length of education is not a coherent jus-tification for the one-year exten-sion, said Alliance of Concerned Teachers Chair Antonio Tinio.

It also proves how the pro-posed education reform simply aims to satisfy the “need of the global market, of multi-national

companies and of foreign coun-tries,” said Peters.

Eroles added that this global-oriented education also covers up for the failure of the government to generate more jobs in the country.

Added burdenStudent Regent Shahana Ab-

dulwahid said the additional year will only be a burden to Filipi-nos considering the country’s economic status which makes it hard for families to afford even a four-year course.

Furthermore, another school

year will mean more expenses, and the lack of enough income to support the increasing cost of education will consequentially force more students out of col-lege, he added.

According to the most recent report of the Department of Edu-cation, only seven out of 10 high school students are able to finish their secondary education. Of high school graduates, Tinio said, barely 20 percent continue to col-lege and only about 14 percent of which are able to graduate. n

Late goal pushes Maroon Booters past UE

Stalled Victory

nrey reduccion, 42, has served the Kowloon house restaurant at West avenue as a waiter, laundryman and utility man for 22 years. he is one of the 73 workers who were terminated last september because of the picket-protest they held to fight for wage increase. just recently, the national Labor relations commission (nLrc) released its decision to reinstate the workers with full back wages. the picket-protest has been ongoing for 5 months now, but the management has not yet acted on the decision despite the passing of the 10-day grace period and repeated calls for action. chris imperiaL

Glenn L. Diaz

The UP men’s football team rose above several botched attempts, includ-

ing an overshot penalty kick, to score a dramatic goal via a cut-back in the dying minutes of their game against the hapless University of the East (UE) squad to finish on top of the standings after the first round of the UAAP football tournament.

Forward and left winger Jose Adonis Santos took advantage of a chip from midfielder Stephen Permanes to score their lone

goal in the game, enough to beat the UE 1-0, at Ateneo’s Erenchun Field in Quezon City, February 1. The win is UP’s fourth.

Touting a 4-0-1 win-loss-draw card after five games, the Ma-roon Booters now take solo lead with 13 points, followed by De La Salle University with 10 and de-fending champion University of Santo Tomas with 8.

UP men’s football team head coach Frank Muescam attributed the win to longer preparation time for the team and more solid teamwork.

“Dominated naman natin yung game,” he said. “More on

mental composure ang kailangan nating i-improve, especially now that we have the momentum. At least our hard work has paid off.”

Indeed, much of the game was played on the Maroon’s of-fensive side with UE constantly struggling to push back a team that got several open looks at the goal, including a penalty kick early in the first half.

Left winger Santos got his first decent look at the goal during the 40-minute mark and had several more attempts, until finally scor-ing the squeaker courtesy of a pass from Permanes inside the

Continued on p.10 Continued on p.11

05kulturaPhilippine Collegian | Biyernes, 6 Peb 2009

Page DesignBianca Bonjibod

IllustrationNico Villarete

ArticleAstrid Acielo

The month of Feb-ruary is electric with the promise

of a week of music.The Sunken Garden becomes

a portal to the current rock scene, where people possibly from all over the country gather to par-take in an event that has more or less defined the inclinations of students of the university – unapologetic liberty.

Walls, however, have bur-rowed into the grounds sur-rounding the UP Fair area while corporate sponsors lay out large banners, tarpaulines, and booths. A condom brand takes advantage of hormones running amok, telecom companies rub in the fact that they’re the only companies that can send your

SMS to someone, and junk food firms tell you that

the open grounds is the perfect place

to chew glu-tamates.

A n d t h e

music gradually recedes into the background.

Free spaceHistorically, the UP Fair was

held not merely as a music fes-tival, but also as an event where social issues were discussed given that the spectacle tended to attract a large number of stu-dents and bystanders

While there are no particu-lar documented records on the origins of the Fair, it is generally construed as a post-Martial Law triumph, enabling the students

to once again gather without the oppressive watch of a militarist state. Since the UP Fair emerged from the victory of the demo-cratic movement which toppled the Marcos dictatorship, its thrust was bent towards social awareness.

In 1984, for instance, the fair organized by former USC vice chair Maria Lourdes Almazan also served as a fundraising event for the “Fund of Justice” which was used to help victims of human rights violations un-der the Marcos regime.

The same t h r u s t ,

w h i l e o v e r -

shadowed by the necessity to look for funding from corporate sponsors, is still noticeable today. Isa Artajo, 04-05 UP Fair Head, relates that “during the two fairs that I handled, the main reason why the fair was being held was to campaign a certain issue, may it be national or a local one. Our council recognized that con-certs, such as the UP Fair, are a very effective form to reach out to the most number of students and other people.”

Specifically, the cited inclina-tion to foster social awareness is manifest in the themes adopted by the University Student Coun-cil. The 2006 UP Fair, to cite, was themed “No FAIRmit, No Rally”, which was a pun against the Calibrated Pre-emptive Re-sponse measure of the Arroyo administration. The said mea-sure violently crushed peaceful demonstrations that criticized the regime.

A concert in this year’s Fair is titled “Meant FAIR each other”, an affirmation of the commit-ment of UP students to serve the people and involve themselves in various social issues.

Serving musicWhile the Fair has indeed

seen the evolution of various ganres in Filipino music, social engagement appears as a com-mon thread among the bands that have performed in it.

Veteran UP Fair bands include Asin, Juan de la Cruz Band, The Jerks, The Dawn, Buklod, The Wuds, The Next, Sinaglahi, and Local Brown. The said groups based their music on concrete Philippine situations such as poverty, war, and injustice. Asin’s "Ang Bayan kong Sinilangan", Buklod’s "Tatsulok", The Jerks’ "Warning", and The Next’s "Ano ba ito?" are some of the songs

which have reverberated in the Sunken Garden during

Fair time. All the songs urge its listeners to

become more critical of Phil-

ippine soci-ety.

The Eraserheads, a UP-born and bred band, also shared the stage with these bands during the late 80s. Marcus Adoro, for-mer lead guitarist of the influen-tial band, noted that the UP Fair became an event where students could be free through music.

Present tenseMeanwhile, Romeo Lee, a vet-

eran host of the UP Fair during the 80s, explains that the Fairs in the past were held to serve the community. “Dati, paramihan ng relief goods,” he recalls. “Ngayon masyadong commercialized…negosyo na…” And with a wry smile, he comments on the bands currently frequenting the Fair: “feeling mga rockstars sila.”

Adoro added, “noon, hindi sponsored by companies at cor-porations ang UP Fair.” Bands, he cited, performed voluntarily. As such, there was more variety in the kind of music being per-formed since bands were more predisposed to make music in-stead of selling it. Currently, bands seem to be a package deal depending heavily on the ar-rangements between the Fair’s host and the band’s manager or label.

Under the former system,

moreover, more UP-based bands, such as the Eraserheads, were given more opportunities to in-troduce their music to the com-munity. The Eraserheads’ songs, for instance, specifically recounts the lives of UP students in clas-sics such as "Minsan." Eventually, however, the songs poured over the boundaries of the university, influencing not only a large pop-ulation, but also a whole genera-tion.

Since the UP Fair did not rely heavily on corporate sponsors and labels before, the stage was also opened up for more radi-cal and progressive bands which have eluded corporate attention and intervention.

While much has changed in the way that the UP Fair is con-ducted and organized, its po-tent thrust still manages to echo amid the booths, the rides, and the music. As seen, the event is also a product of a democratic struggle. The event, flooded with a barrage of commercial inter-ests, continues to struggle to sow social awareness among its spec-tators.

The music returns to the fore-ground only when the commit-ment to listen to it reemerges. n

The event, flooded with a barrage of commercial interests, continues to struggle to sow social awareness among its spectators

06-07 Lathalain | kultura

ArticleJM Ragaza

Page DesignBianca Bonjibod

PhotoChris Imperial

Nak

asis

igur

ong

gam

ot a

y la

ging

bag

o.”

So p

rocl

aim

s a

sign

at a

pop

ular

nei

ghbo

r-ho

od d

rugs

tore

, whe

re a

lin

e of

peo

ple

can

usua

lly b

e fo

und

wai

ting.

Man

y of

them

she

ll ou

t hu

ndre

ds o

f pe

sos

for

phar

mac

eutic

al p

rod-

ucts

whi

ch a

re b

rand

ed in

stea

d of

gen

eric

, as

pre

scri

bed

by d

octo

rs. O

ne w

oman

, cl

utch

ing

a pr

escr

iptio

n fo

r th

e im

-po

rted

syr

up V

ento

lin —

whi

ch,

at P

300

a bo

ttle,

is

one

of

the

coun

try’

s to

p-se

lling

dr

ugs

—

com

plai

ns,

“Bag

o ng

a an

g ga

mot

, m

ahal

na

man

.”T

his

p

re-

dic-

am

en

t is

ech

oed

by m

illio

ns

of

Filip

inos

. D

rugs

in

th

e Ph

ilipp

ines

ar

e 40

to

70

pe

rcen

t m

ore

expe

nsiv

e th

an

in

neig

hbor

ing

coun

-tr

ies

such

as

Th

aila

nd

and

Indo

nesi

a,

acco

rdin

g to

th

e N

atio

nal

Econ

omic

an

d D

evel

opm

ent

Auth

ority

. Ec

onom

ic re

sear

ch a

genc

y IB

ON

F

ou

n-

datio

n ad

ds t

hat

the

mon

opol

istic

st

ruct

ure

of t

he p

harm

aceu

tical

ind

ustr

y ha

s m

ade

drug

s be

yond

the

reac

h of

ord

inar

y ci

tizen

s.

Dru

g D

epen

den

tTh

e cu

rren

t pro

blem

s of

the

drug

indu

stry

can

be

trac

ed to

the

Amer

ican

col

onia

l per

iod.

As th

e Ph

ilipp

ines

foug

ht o

ff S

pani

sh ru

le, F

ilipi

nos

bega

n de

velo

ping

a n

atio

nal p

harm

aceu

tical

indu

s-tr

y, w

hich

had

a s

tron

g fo

unda

tion

in t

he c

ount

ry’s

educ

atio

nal

syst

em a

nd r

ich

natu

ral

reso

urce

s. Fo

r in

stan

ce, a

pha

rmac

y co

urse

was

est

ablis

hed

in 1

871

by th

e U

nive

rsity

of S

anto

Tom

as. B

y 19

00, p

harm

acy

grad

uate

s ha

d es

tabl

ishe

d th

e co

untr

y’s

first

pha

rmac

eutic

al la

bora

tory

, Lab

ora-

tori

o H

izon

. One

bre

akth

roug

h w

as th

e di

scov

ery

by p

harm

acis

t Man

uel Z

amo-

ra o

f a fo

rmul

a ag

ains

t ber

i-ber

i, th

en a

le

adin

g ca

use

of in

fant

mor

talit

y.D

espi

te su

ch in

itiat

ives

, the

loca

l dru

g in

dust

ry d

id n

ot fl

ouri

sh, f

or U

S co

lo-

nize

rs s

tunt

ed d

rug

rese

arch

by

orie

nt-

ing

phar

mac

y ed

ucat

ion

tow

ard

mer

e ap

plic

atio

n of

tec

hnol

ogy,

says

med

ical

an

thro

polo

gist

Mic

hael

Tan

. H

e ad

ds,

“It

was

not

to

the

inte

rest

of

the

US

to

crea

te a

n in

depe

nden

t dru

g in

dust

ry o

r an

inde

pend

ent s

cien

ce a

nd te

chno

logy

sy

stem

that

wou

ld fo

rm th

e fo

unda

tion

for e

cono

mic

pro

gres

s in

the

coun

try.”

Furt

herm

ore,

afte

r Wor

ld W

ar II

, the

re w

as a

n in

-flu

x of

fore

ign

phar

mac

eutic

al fi

rms

into

the

Phili

p-pi

nes,

as th

e go

vern

men

t enc

oura

ged

fore

ign

inve

st-

men

ts to

hel

p th

e w

ar-t

orn

econ

omy

reco

ver.

Man

y sm

all

Filip

ino

com

pani

es w

ere

unab

le t

o co

mpe

te w

ith t

he m

ultin

atio

nals

, an

d th

ey e

ither

cl

osed

dow

n or

wer

e bo

ught

by

fore

ign

com

pani

es.

Soon

, fo

reig

n co

mpa

nies

and

loc

al m

ultin

atio

n-al

s co

ntro

lled

all c

ompo

nent

s of

the

indu

stry

, fro

m

owne

rshi

p to

man

ufac

turi

ng t

o di

stri

bu-

tion

and

reta

il.

Ove

rdo

seTh

e Ph

ilipp

ine

drug

indu

stry

is

valu

ed at

alm

ost 1

04B

peso

s as o

f 20

07. A

t pre

sent

, 16

of th

e to

p 20

pha

rmac

eutic

al c

orpo

ra-

tions

in

the

coun

try

are

fore

ign

mul

tinat

iona

ls,

acco

untin

g fo

r m

ore

than

70

pe

rcen

t of

the

tot

al d

rug

sale

s, ac

cord

ing

to

the

Phar

-m

aceu

tical

&

Hea

lth-

ca

re

Ass

oci

a-tio

n of

the

Phil-

ippi

nes

Fact

book

. U

nite

d La

bora

to-

ries

(U

nila

b),

the

prod

ucer

of

Biog

esic

tabl

ets,

is th

e la

rges

t Fil-

ipin

o-ow

ned

drug

com

pany

, co

n-tr

ollin

g 23

per

cent

of

the

loca

l mar

-ke

t. H

owev

er, t

he h

ealth

gro

up H

ealth

Al

lianc

e fo

r D

emoc

racy

(H

EAD

), ca

lls

Uni

lab

a “l

ocal

mul

tinat

iona

l.” T

houg

h it

is

base

d in

the

Phili

ppin

es, n

otes

HEA

D, U

nila

b al

so h

as la

rge

oper

atio

ns a

nd s

ales

abr

oad,

in

coun

trie

s lik

e C

hina

and

Tai

wan

.O

n th

e ot

her

hand

, sm

alle

r lo

cal

drug

com

pa-

nies

onl

y ha

ve a

mar

ket

shar

e of

abo

ut t

hree

per

-ce

nt. L

ocal

dru

g m

anuf

actu

ring

, mor

eove

r, is

larg

ely

cont

rolle

d by

the

Euro

pean

com

pany

Inte

rphi

l Lab

o-ra

tori

es, s

ays

HEA

D D

eput

y Se

cret

ary

Gen

eral

Gen

e N

ispe

ros.

The

man

ufac

turi

ng p

roce

ss i

n th

e lo

cal d

rug

in-

dust

ry la

rgel

y in

volv

es ju

st re

pack

ing

im-

port

ed d

rugs

int

o do

sage

for

ms.

Of

the

Wor

ld H

ealth

Org

aniz

atio

n’s

list

of 6

00

esse

ntia

l dru

gs, o

r th

ose

that

sat

isfy

the

ne

eds

of th

e m

ajor

ity, o

nly

200

are

mad

e by

loca

l com

pani

es. T

he o

ther

400

mus

t be

impo

rted

. Pr

oduc

tion

is l

imite

d be

caus

e lo

cal

drug

com

pani

es c

anno

t pr

oduc

e th

e ac

tive

subs

tanc

es n

eede

d fo

r dr

ug p

ro-

duct

ion,

and

thus

impo

rt 9

5-98

% o

f the

ch

emic

als

or

sem

i-fin

ishe

d pr

oduc

ts

from

ind

ustr

ializ

ed c

ount

ries

suc

h as

th

e U

S. M

any

of th

e ne

cess

ary

raw

ma-

teri

als

can

be a

cqui

red

loca

lly, a

ccor

d-in

g to

IBO

N, b

ut p

rodu

ctio

n is

not

vi-

able

sin

ce t

he c

ount

ry la

cks

an “

orga

nic

chem

ical

in

dust

ry.”

Afte

r the

dru

gs a

re m

anuf

actu

red

and

pack

aged

, th

ey a

re d

istr

ibut

ed t

o dr

ugst

ores

and

hos

pita

ls

thro

ugh

a di

stri

buto

r, w

hich

cha

rges

a fi

xed

dis-

trib

utio

n fe

e to

the

man

ufac

ture

r. In

terp

hil’s

sis

ter

com

pany

, Zue

llig

Phar

ma

and

Filip

ino

firm

Met

ro-

lab

Indu

stri

es c

ontr

ols

70 p

erce

nt o

f the

indu

stry

’s di

stri

butio

n co

mpo

nent

, IBO

N s

ays.

Even

the

reta

iling

of

med

icin

es is

mon

opol

ized

by F

ilipi

no-o

wne

d co

mpa

ny M

ercu

ry D

rug,

whi

ch

has

mor

e th

an 6

00 o

utle

ts n

atio

nwid

e. V

ivia

n Q

ue A

zcon

a, th

e pr

esid

ent o

f Mer

cury

dru

g,

rank

s 13th

in th

e Fo

rbes

Top

40

Rich

est i

n th

e Ph

ilipp

ines

. Th

e m

onop

oliz

atio

n by

tr

an-

satio

nals

of

the

drug

ind

ustr

y gr

ants

the

m t

he p

ower

to

dict

ate

pric

es a

nd e

rode

co

mpe

titio

n.

One

ta

ctic

em

ploy

ed

by

tran

sna-

tiona

ls

is

the

pad-

ding

of

tran

sfe

r pr

ices

, w

hich

i

s th

e am

ount

loca

l co

un-

terp

arts

pay

for

the

im

po

r-ta

tion

of

the

prod

uct

from

its

m

othe

r co

mpa

nies

abr

oad,

sa

ys IB

ON

.D

rug p

rice

s, no

tes

Nis

pero

s, ar

e no

t any

whe

re

near

the

cos

t of

prod

uctio

n bu

t are

“ba

sed

on w

hat

the

mar

ket c

an b

ear.”

Fu

rthe

rmor

e, a

ggre

ssiv

e m

arke

ting

and

prom

o-tio

ns ja

ck u

p dr

ug p

rice

s. As

ide

from

med

ia a

dver

-

tisin

g, d

rug

com

pani

es “

win

e an

d di

ne”

doct

ors

and

heal

th p

rofe

ssio

nals

, a p

ract

ice

whi

ch “

undu

ly in

flu-

ence

s th

e pr

escr

ibin

g ha

bits

of

doct

ors,”

say

s N

is-

pero

s. Ill-

pres

crib

edPr

ogra

ms

and

law

s im

plem

ente

d by

the

go

vern

men

t, ho

wev

er,

have

on

ly

“in-

tens

ified

our

im

port

-dep

ende

ncy

and

stre

ngth

ened

tra

nsna

tiona

l co

ntro

l,”

says

non

-gov

ernm

ent

orga

niza

tion

Cou

ncil

for

Hea

lth a

nd D

evel

op-

men

t Cha

ir E

lean

or Ja

ra.

For

inst

ance

, tw

enty

yea

rs

afte

r th

e im

plem

enta

tion

of t

he G

ener

ics

Law

of

1988

, ge

neri

c dr

ugs

still

acc

ount

for

onl

y a

mea

sly

four

to fi

ve

perc

ent

of m

edi-

cine

s so

ld in

the

Phil

ippi

nes

. N

isp

ero

s ex

pla

ins

that

the

la

w,

wh

ich

pro

mo

tes

the

use

of

chea

per

gene

ric

drug

s, w

as

neve

r pr

oper

ly im

plem

ente

d.

Anot

her

law

, the

For

eign

In

vest

men

ts A

ct, a

llow

s the

par

-tic

ipat

ion

of fo

reig

n in

vest

ors b

y up

to 1

00 p

erce

nt i

n th

e ph

arm

aceu

tical

in

dust

ry, p

artic

ular

ly in

the

man

ufac

ture

an

d di

stri

butio

n of

ove

r-th

e-co

unte

r-dr

ugs.

Furt

herm

ore,

the

abs

ence

of

a Pr

ice

Regu

-la

tory

Boa

rd a

llow

s fo

reig

n co

mpa

nies

to

dict

ate

drug

pri

ces,

acco

rdin

g to

HEA

D. T

his

is e

vide

nt i

n th

e pa

ssag

e of

the

Uni

vers

ally

Acc

essi

ble

Che

aper

an

d Q

ualit

y M

edic

ines

Act

of 2

008,

whe

rein

a p

rovi

-si

on c

reat

ing

a re

gula

tory

boa

rd w

as s

crap

ped

“afte

r in

tens

e lo

bbyi

ng o

f pr

ivat

e co

mpa

nies

,” sa

ys N

ispe

-ro

s. “Man

y ar

e st

ill

unaw

are

that

ge

neri

c eq

uiva

-le

nts

are

as s

afe

and

effe

ctiv

e as

bra

nded

, exp

ensi

ve

drug

s,” a

dds

Jara

.Po

ster

s pr

omis

ing

chea

p dr

ugs

are

plas

tere

d on

th

e w

alls

of

drug

out

lets

. TV

adv

ertis

emen

ts a

ired

in

sta

te-r

un s

tatio

ns t

rum

pet

the

gove

rnm

ent’s

ef-

fort

s in

bri

ngin

g do

wn

the

pric

es o

f dru

gs. T

he ty

pi-

cal m

edic

ine

pres

crip

tion,

how

ever

, tel

ls a

diff

eren

t st

ory.

Hea

lth is

con

tinuo

usly

ped

dled

in th

e fo

rm o

f ex

pens

ive

syru

ps, c

apsu

les

and

tabl

ets

— a

nd t

his

real

ity i

s a

bitte

r pi

ll to

sw

allo

w. O

nly

by b

reak

ing

the

dom

inan

ce o

f ex

pens

ive,

TN

C-c

ontr

olle

d co

m-

pani

es o

ver t

he in

dust

ry c

an m

edic

al d

rugs

bec

ome

mor

e af

ford

able

. n

Refe

renc

es:

IBO

N F

ound

atio

n (2

001)

. Dru

g In

dust

ry in

the

Phili

ppin

es. Q

uezo

n Ci

ty: I

BON

Boo

ks

Tan,

Mic

hael

(198

8). D

ying

for d

rugs

: Pill

pow

er a

nd p

oliti

cs in

the

Phili

ppin

es. Q

uezo

n Ci

ty: H

ealth

Act

ion

Info

rmat

ion

Net

wor

k

Health is

Their Wealth

: The Leading Pharmace

utical C

ompanies in th

e Philippines

based on va

lue (as of S

eptember 2007)

company

country

% compound annual

growth rate 4-y

ears

United Laborat

ories

philippines

10.24

glaxosmith

Kline

United Kingdom

2.57

pfizer

United stat

es (Us)

10.72

Wyeth

Us

11.46

sanofi-aventis

Us

8.60

abbott

Us

13.88

astraZ

eneca

sweden

5.61

novartis

switzerlan

d

5.73

roche

switzerlan

d

16.41

johnson & johnson

Us

8.41

Source: PHAP Fact

book 2008

Health is continuously peddled in the form of expensive syrups, capsules and tablets — and this reality is a bitter pill to swallow

OVER THE COUNTER: Diagnosing the Phil-ippine Drug Industry

Philippine Collegian | Biyernes, 12 Set 2008

Page DesignBianca Bonjibod

Page DesignBianca Bonjibod

IllustrationNico Villarete

ArticleHannah Chan

Philippine Collegian | Biyernes, 6 Peb 2009That night she drank fire. And the children cam

e to play with the boogey-m

an of popular im

agination. Specks

of light

flickered incongruously

around the place like orange fireflies suspended in air. W

hen she stretched out her hand, how-

ever, the fireflies quickly vanished from sight.

Slightly dismayed, she brought the lighted

weed back to her lips and shoved the sm

oke dow

n her throat. She held it for a w

hile inside her mouth then

released a cloud of smoke into

space. Then she raised her lighted roll and adm

ired its magic. The air

was getting heavy, but it reeked of

supposed freedom.

It was a night w

hen they needed a dose of their ow

n theories built on pillars of clouds and felonious ram

blings and dreams. The days

were all about space and tim

e and deadlines but it w

as in their nights that the w

orld and its maladies

were reduced to the cadence of inhaling and

exhaling fumes, w

here time and space lost its

meaning. And suddenly the participants of the

secret act became both subjects and spectators,

in a ritual that is real and imagined at the sam

e tim

e.

Pop ren

dition

Drug use, indeed, is a taboo that is venerated

and condemned at the sam

e time, pointing to

the sheer ambivalence of the spectators and

subjects of popular culture. It is an ubiquitous practice that has pervaded the them

es of songs, literature, artw

orks, and movies.

Filipino bands from the rock scene, to cite,

have often included subtle hints of drug use in som

e of their songs. Rivermaya’s Elesi and

Eraserhead’s Alapaap, as well as Kam

ikazee’s rendition of D

oobidoobidoo are among the pop-

ular songs that have covertly or not-so-covertly extolled the freedom

from various constraints –

social, psychological, or physical – accorded by herb-induced euphoria.

Danny Boyle’s 1996 cult-classic, Trainspotting,

meanw

hile, disturbingly illustrates the extremes

of substance abuse. A myriad of teen com

edies also continue to rely on junkies to provide com

-ic relief through slapsticks and confusing, pun-filled dialogues.

Apparently, drug use has gradually etched its ow

n niche in the spectators’ imagination w

hich regards the act w

ith disdain and disgust only to later laugh at it or even venerate it. The prim

e tim

e news constantly talk of buy-busts and drug

enforcement w

hile movies respond w

ith dia-logues about one’s high or trip.

The said vice even transcends the boundaries

of class, albeit subject to varied persuasions: a source of incom

e and escapist formula for the

poor, a subversive posturing for some m

iddle-class intellectuals, and a lucrative side dish for hooked elites.

Narcs an

d politics

National attention has once again been di-

rected towards the spectacle of drug use and

trade. The drug case of the so-called “Alabang Boys” and allega-tions of bribery lodged against certain prosecutors of the D

e-partm

ent of Justice have once again

prompted

government

officials to launch a large-scale w

itch-hunt against drug addicts and syndicates. The D

epartment

of Education, for one, has heed-ed the call by initiating random

drug tests in schools despite re-sounding opposition from

hum

an rights advocacy groups and agencies.

The high-profile

case involved

high society kin Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph, and Joseph Tec-son, resuscitating the public’s suspi-cion

on the

collusion of

the bureau-

cracy with the

multi-m

il-lio

n

peso n

ar

-cotics

trade. A

2004 D

angerous Drugs Board

survey record-ed that there are 6.7 m

il-lion drug users in the country. The trade is val-ued at around P500 to P600 billion – m

ore than one third of the national budget. That m

uch m

oney cannot possibly elude the hands of gov-ernm

ent officials, in a bureaucracy famous for

rampant corruption rather than exem

plary ser-vice.

Still, the official slogan is “say no to drugs” w

hile press releases portend an on-going cru-sade against the trade. Ironically, officials are am

ong the first personalities to be dragged into controversies involving it.

The relationship between the bureaucracy

and the illegal drug trade is symbiotic, in w

hat has com

e to be known as narcopolitics. Popu-

lar Culture scholar and Filipino Professor M

i-chael Andrada notes, “Sa Pilipinas, ang kapang-

yarihang nagpapainog sa narcopolitics ay ang naghaharing uri...na sila rin nam

ang nakaupo sa m

ga lokal at pambansang posisyon

sa gobyerno, na nakatali sa malalak-

ing narco-negosyo at drug syndicate sa buong m

undo.”

Two

-faced proh

ibition

The seriousness

of governm

ent prohibition, m

eanwhile, is seen as

two-faced. Film

Professor Roland Tolentino stated that “ang double standard

ang nananaig,

na ang

estado lang

ang m

aaaring gum

amit

ng ilegal

na d

ro-

ga.”

An

anti-d

rug

campaign, for

one, is one of the safest

and easiest

advocacies, populat-

ing campaign posters and

vandalizing the metropolitan

space. The president

herself has

donned the title of anti-drug czarina to boost her credibility, failing to acknow

l-edge the fact that bribery allegations are direct-

ed towards the office of one of her staunchest

allies, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales.

Yet the official position is markedly silent in

posh and exclusive spaces while it echoes loudly

within the labyrinthine expanse of the cities’ slum

s. Andrada claim

ed, “kapag mga taong m

aimplu-

wensiya o di kaya’y bahagi ng m

as mataas na ba-

hagi ng

nar-copolitics

ang nahuhuli ng batas, nagagaw

ang isalba ng mis-

mong narcopolitics ang m

ga tagapagtaguyod nito. Kaya kadalasan, kapag naririnig natin ang iligal na droga, agad na ikinakabit ito sa m

ga iskw

ater at mahihirap na silang m

alaking ba-hagi ng tagakonsum

o ng iligal na droga.”“Ang m

asa na maliliit na drug pushers at drug

users, silang ginagawang pantaw

id-gutom ang

paglalako ng iligal na droga at pantawid-araw

ang paggam

it ng iligal na droga para takasan ang kahirapan, sila ang nagiging puntirya ng pagm

amarka ng gobyerno,” Andrada added.

Correspondingly, the cam

paign against drugs is no less than a signpost to lure the public’s at-tention tow

ards the convenient suspects – petty and anonym

ous criminals as w

ell as unwitting

students suspected of succumbing to the rash-

ness of youth – far away from

the real economy

of the drug trade involving real people and real institutions of governm

ent. The point is to cite the drug trade as a flim

sy societal ill instead of a real, viable, and striving indus-try – the stuff of cam

paign materials instead

of genuine inquiry. W

hile popular culture continues to dazzle its spectators tow

ards ambivalence. n

References:

Tolentino, Rolando. Sa loob at labas ng mall kong saw

i kaliluha’y siyang nangyayaring hari: ang pagkatuto

at pagtatanghal ng kulturang popular. Quezon City:

University of the Philippines Press, c2001.

Drug use, indeed, is a taboo that is venerated and condemned at the same time, pointing to the sheer ambivalence of the spectators and sub-jects of popular culture

DRUG SPOTTING: Notes on Narcopolitics and Popular Culture

Page DesignBianca Bonjibod

IllustrationJanno Gonzales

ArticleMila Polinar

Philippine Collegian | Biyernes, 6 Peb 200908 Lathalain

There is bitter irony in the grandios-ity of last year’s centennial celebra-tions. The administration allotted

some P150 million for the centennial activities, projects, and media gimmicks, while in the Office of Scholarships and Student Services, more and more students are lining up for loans, as they are unable to afford the cost of education.

Yet, even as the centennial year drew to a close, the posturing remains. New build-ings are being constructed, modifying the geography of the university. In the north-ern section in Commonwealth Avenue, the end result of the UP administration’s tie-up with giant real es-tate firm Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is a hub of build-ings that caters to the services and outsourcing business. Meanwhile, within the academic core, partnerships with oil and energy multi-national corporations – Chevron Philippines Inc. and TOTAL (Philippines) Corp – have provided funding for the National Science and Engineer-ing Complex, and the Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineer-ing Building.

Each year, state fund-ing for UP diminishes by millions of pesos. Instead of condemn-ing state abandonment, however, the adminis-tration turns to the pri-vate sector for addition-al funding while concurrently denying its explicit role in commercialization. Yet, no matter how vehement the denial, the mas-sive constructions attest to the increasing hand of the private sector in directing what are supposedly academic, nonprofit, university affairs.

Unmasking grandeurDespite the spate of renovations and

construction, students continue to suf-fer from substandard facilities like run-down chemistry laboratories and obsolete equipment. Currently, 38 percent of the student body comes from outside Metro Manila, but only 15 percent of the student population can avail of accommodations in all of ten dormitories in UP.

This dearth in services in the univer-sity is an indication of budget constraints. Every year, the approved budget for UP is consistently lower than the actual amount needed for the university’s expenses and operations (see sidebar 1). For instance, of the P15.35 billion budget proposed by the UP administration for 2009, the Con-gress only approved P6.41 billion, a mere 42 percent of the original sum needed to meet university needs.

Under the limited budget, UP allots

problems and prospects of

state,subsidized education

Sidebar 1:Scarce resources

0

5

10

15

20

2006 2007 2008 2009*

ApprovedBudget (inbillions)

ProposedBudget (inbillions)

*Yet to be approved by the Office of the President Source: Philippine Collegian Archives

P653 million for the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), and P1.7 billion for capital outlay (CO). While the MOOE covers upkeep costs – such as phone bills, security agencies, gasoline, new equipment and land rentals – the CO is used for the construction of new infra-structure and buildings.

With the reduction in MOOE, mainte-nance costs are shouldered by students, usually through added fees. In the De-partment of Mechanical Engineering, for instance, a proposal for laboratory fee in-crease of 60 to 400 percent has just been submitted to the administration this year.

The College of Mass Communication also passed laboratory fee increases in more than 10 subjects in 2008. And in 2006, the 300 percent tuition fee increase was approved despite strong opposition from the UP community, increasing the base tuition of P300 to P1,000 per unit.

Faculty Regent Judy Taguiwalo explains that the money obtained from tuition and other fee increases is placed in the “revolv-ing fund,” a type of reserve supply that has no fiscal year limitation, and is used to fi-nance specific activities. Because of insuf-ficient funds, the administration channels a portion of the revolving fund towards the MOOE. This way, “students pay for the MOOE when it should be provided by the state in the first place,” explains Student Regent Shahana Abdulwahid.

Along with the students, others sec-tors in the university bear the brunt of low state subsidy. A report by UP School of Economics Prof. Emmanuel De Dios notes that faculty members put up with salaries ranging from P7,000 to P14,000, lower than the salaries offered in other universities.

Through the years, the administration has resorted to various mechanisms to fill the serious gaps in state subsidy. This year, instead of addressing the root of the prob-lem, the administration has permitted the private and commercial sector’s blatant penetration of university affairs.

Commercial schemesThe Techno Hub is the 37.5 hectare ex-

panse of restaurants, gaming centers, and multinational corporations such as Inter-national Business Machines (IBM) along Commonwealth Avenue. Roman describes the park as “a venue for the transforma-tion of innovative ideas into cutting-edge commercial products.” Yet, instead of lab-oratories and research facilities, compa-nies engaged in services and outsourcing dominate the hub.

Estimated to earn P4 bil-lion at the end of the 25-year lease period to ALI, the hub is expect-ed to augment the university’s finances. The Techno Hub is the first of three phases in the development of the 98.5 hectare UP North Science and Technol-ogy Park (S&T Park).

In a report, ALI ad-mits that it plans to turn UP Diliman into a “business process outsourcing (BPO) campus.” Alvin Pe-ters, president of National Union of Students in the Philippines, a na-tionwide student alliance, points to this proposal as a mechanism to “commodify educa-tion,” in which learn-ing is treated as a commodity from which to generate profit, instead of as a basic right.

Peters adds that the c o m m o d i -fication of education is a prob-lem en-

countered, not just by UP, but by other state universi-ties and colleges (SUCs). As state subsidy continues to dwindle for higher educa-tion, more and more SUCs resort to commercial schemes that transform the academe into a profit-making entity.

Nationwide

Budget constraints:

Sidebar 2: Corporate measures: Conten-tious provisions of the LTHEDP1. reduce number of state universities and colleges by 20% and manage six sUcs as “semi-corporations”2. engage 20% of sUcs in income-generating projects by the selling of intellectual properties.3. increase the tuition fee of 70% of the sUcs4. tie up 60% of sUcs to multinational corporations

Source: LTHEDP (2001-2010)

extensionThe systematic and systemic decrease

in state subsidy among SUCs can be traced from government policies such as the Long-Term Higher Education Devel-opment Plan (LTHEDP) 2001-2010, says Peters.

Under the LTHEDP, budget cuts have become a legitimate government plan, with two long-term objectives: one, to reduce the number of state universities and colleges (SUCs) by 20 percent through mergers with companies; and two, to en-gage SUCs in income-generating mea-sures, such as selling intellectual proper-ties and implementing fee increases by 2010 (see sidebar 2).

In the LTHEDP’s eight years of imple-

mentation, the number of SUCs in the country dwindled from 264 to 112. This year, the approved budget for SUCs is only P18 billion, P5 billion short of the pro-posed P23 billion budget. Under such re-stricted resources, more SUCs are bound to close.

When the government fails to deliver funding for services, such as education, there should be no room for tolerance or apathy. For, clearly, the inaction of the UP administration on a matter as crucial as state abandonment ultimately amounts to its complicity. Meanwhile, the students shall continue to collectively clamor for state support for education, a right that is, in the first place, legitimately theirs. n

(A)PolitikaLouise Vincent B. amante

diana Kaye precioso

Survival of the Fittest

A last word

09OpinyonPhilippine Collegian | Biyernes, 6 Peb 2009

Dear Raysalaysa tagumpay escandor

...that's also how i understand our relationship... Like yin and yang, Water and Fire, you and i

Bakit ba napunta sa Up ang batang ito nang hindi man lang nagbabasa at nakikinig?

Natapos na ang pagboto natin ukol sa Codified Rules on Student Re-gent Selection (CRSRS) referen-

dum, kung pabor pa ba tayo o hindi rito. At habang sinusulat ang kolum na ito, nag-aabang tayo sa magiging resulta.

Mababanggit ko rito na may mga pang-kat na nasa panig ng Yes at ng No. Nag-ing mainit na usapin ito sa loob ng mga kampus ng UP, pati sa Multiply. Kesyo ang pagboto ng Yes ay isang bulag na pag-sunod na status quo at isang kabobohan ang pagboto ng No. Madali lang naman ang sagot dito: aralin ang kasaysayan ng pagkakaroon ng SR sa Board of Regents (BOR). At mula rito’y tingnan natin ang nagawa ng mga SR hanggang sa kasalu-kuyang si Hon. Shahana Abdulwahid.

Mahalagang tungkulin ang nakapasan sa isang SR dahil siya ang inaaasahan nat-ing magtatanggol sa mga mag-aaral sa anupamang polisiyang ipapatutupad ng BOR. Subalit dapat banggitin ritong ang SR ay hindi lang para sa mga mag-aaral. Mangyari pa’y bitbit din niya ang isyu ng mga non-academic employees, maninin-da, at kahit ang tinaguriang “informal set-tlers” sa mga lupain ng UP. Wala naman kasi silang kinatawan sa BOR kaya ang SR na ang umaako niyon. Kaya napakahalaga rin ng nakaraang CRSRS referendum para sa mga sektor na ito.

Nakaaawa nga lang ang ilang estudyan-teng hindi nakaboto, lalo na iyong mga sinadyang hindi bumoto. Dahil panahon ng midterms kaya subsob sila sa karere-byu. Pinakakaraniwang rason ito. ‘Yun nga lang, pinakamatagal na ang isang minuto na pagtagal sa polling precint para sa refer-endum. May naringgan nga akong mas nanaisin pa ni-yang mag-aral kaysa bumoto sa isang bagay na hindi niya alam. Hindi pala niya alam ang CRSRS. Ang ibig sabi-hin lang nito, hindi siya nagbabasa ng mga poster sa bulletin boards sa AS, sa CS, sa CAL, saanmang kolehiyo (Bakit ba kasi tinanggal ang bulletin boards sa mga sakayan natin?). Hindi siya nakikinig sa mga naga-RTR na mga pangkat, mapa-Yes o No man iyan. Hindi rin siya nagbabasa ng Kulê o ng college paper nila (Ilan nga bang college paper ang aktibo pa sa Dili-man?). Bakit ba napunta sa UP ang batang ito nang hindi man lang nagbabasa at na-kikinig?

Karaniwan nang sinasabi na nasa UP ang pinakamagagaling na mag-aaral. Magaling ka nga sa akademiks, walang duda. Pero kung hanggang diyan lang, dapat iyang lampasan. Nakasasawa mang pakinggan, ngunit totoong iskolar tayo ng

bayan. Buwis ng sambayanan ang nagpa-paaral sa atin. Kung bakit naging P1000/unit ang dating P300/unit ay hindi ko na masasagot. Nagpabaya kaya ang maram-ing UP students ng nakaraang tatlong taon?

Naaalala ko ang akdang “Kuwentong Alay sa isang Kuwago.” Isang propesor ang subsob sa kanyang saliksik habang nag-babarikada ang mga estudyante sa check-point. Pakikiisa ito sa mga tsuper at pagtu-

tol sa pagtaas ng P0.02/litro ng diesel, mula sa P0.29 pa-tungong P0.31. Lumusob ang Metrocom upang buwagin ang barikada. Nagpaputok sila. Pinagbabato sila ng mga estudyante gamit ang mga bato’t silya. Idineklara nilang isang malayang komunidad ang Diliman noong Pebrero

1971. Tumagal ang barikada ng ilang araw. Subalit ang propesor, walang pakialam sa labas. Nakakulong siya sa kuwarto para sa saliksik.

Mag-aapat na dekada na iyong Dili-man Commune. Tila malayo sa hinagap pero naganap. Sa solidong hanay ng mga estudyante, may ibayong lakas na su-miklab. Sa panahon ngayon, hindi maaari ang pagkakawatak-watak. Kung isang in-stitusyong mag-aaral ang nasa panganib, sino ba ang dapat magligtas nito? n

Nagpapasalamat ang manunulat kay Dr. Fanny A. Garcia para sa maikling

kwentong binanggit; kay Prop. Reuel Aguila para sa datos ukol sa

Diliman Commune.

there were some interesting de-velopments in the Student Re-gent referendum, which should help shape the ways in which the battle for the seats in next

year’s student councils will be waged.And yes, it is a battle. Anyone who

doesn’t think so hasn’t been in UP when the candidates go from room to room, countering their opponents’ lines with determined cheer; he hasn’t attended a miting de avance, when the barbs fly and each party starts claiming credit for all that was accomplished in the past year; he hasn’t seen a smear campaign con-ducted online, when fake e-mails and harsh statements circulate the forums and social networking sites.

Still, some things about the recently concluded referendum — which the students handily won, as over fifty percent of the student body cast their ballots with the “yes” votes constitut-ing a majority — should provoke a few thoughts.

The zinger is that UP Diliman had one of the lowest turnouts in the entire UP system. The conventional wisdom is that when it comes to activism and po-litical involvement of the youth, all roads lead to UP Diliman — a lesson drawn from the turbulent seventies. However, when once students marched to Men-diola waving banners, today nearly half of the Diliman students didn’t bother to vote at all. I mean, all they had to do was stop by the precinct in their college, cast their vote, and mark the ballot with a thumbprint. The process took less than five minutes, but thousands of students didn’t make the effort.

Clearly, the demographics are shifting.It was also evident that while the

propaganda surrounding the SR ref-erendum was intensely partisan, with political parties dividing along the dis-tinction of yes versus no, the voters were more independent. Some colleges, expected to vote with the political party which had dominated their councils for the past few years, broke with the party line in casting their votes.

In short, the parties shouldn’t be complacent. The candidates like to call specific colleges “blue,” or “red,” or “yel-low,” but it’s very possible that the stu-dents won’t vote as expected.

Another point is that, if the referen-dum is any indication, the Internet will play a big role in the upcoming USC elections. The Collegian, along with the systemwide campus publication alliance Solidaridad and other college papers, covered the SR referendum in real time, and their sites racked up a large amount of hits, links, and comments. Each side was defended passionately online, and bitter controversies about the referen-dum erupted in the “blogosphere.”

These all carry grave implications, and it’s uncertain how things will turn out. But I voted yes, and I do believe that the outcome of the SR referendum was a victory for the students. So I’ll vote in the upcoming USC elections as well. n

I guess I’m the only one who calls you that – Rays. You introduce yourself to people as Aya (or Aia, depending on

where and when you met them), but I’ve stubbornly stuck to Rays. I suppose it’s more fitting that way, it’s a nickname that only you and I understand, and the label fits you well: Rays, beams of sunlight.

I’ve called you that since we were chil-dren, when we dreamed together of a life of comfort and general security. In a way, our collection of Barbie dolls encouraged those dreams. We enjoyed dressing them up, fighting over whose doll was prettiest. The idea seems silly now, it’s a wonder why Mom even bothered to buy us those unrealistically slim-waisted, big-boobed figures of mythic urbanity. But oh, we felt like rock stars then, we were the only kids on the entire dirt-poor, dusty neighbor-hood in Sorsogon who actually owned a Barbie set. At a young age, our middle class mentality understood too well how status symbols worked.

We were always close and protective of each other. Like clockwork, I turn to you whenever something of relative impor-tance or drama occurs. You know exactly how to address my usual hysteria – with a dose of calm and composure. Unlike me, you never entered a rebellious stage, you did not break rules, you obeyed Mom and Dad, even in their most irrational. You were sensible where I was impulsive.

Unity of opposites, Jane once told me. That time, Jane and I were talking about ideology, but that’s also how I understand

our relationship. Like Yin and Yang, Water and Fire, You and I. Despite the “unnerv-ing” similarities in our appearance, our temperaments cannot be anymore differ-ent.

I think we’re closer now than we’ve ever been. How was your day, we typically ask each other, exchanging stories and juicy gossip before sleep. You mention Empoy, Yana, Ali, Anton, Ana, Dan, Mico and other people I don’t usually meet, but I now feel as if I know. I can describe, for instance, how Ali is when love struck, and how manic Anton is in a mob. I can re-call your first US embassy mob, and your first speech in front of workers in Kowloon. I was amused when you wore a skirt for an RTR day, jokingly explain-ing that it was for “pang-aakit” purposes. That explanation, of course, spread like wildfire; I’m sure by now you’re laughing-grimacing at the memory. I don’t think you’ll hear the end of it from those in Anakbayan.

You won’t agree, I’m sure, but you cry so easily Rays. During your first noise barrage in Philcoa at the height of the oil crisis, you were teary-eyed, moved at the support shown by passing Jeepney drivers. After inviting Mila to watch Orapronobis in our room, both of you emerged emo-tional and resolute – while you decided to make your membership official in Anak-bayan, Mila set her eyes on Kule. You cried

after watching “Sa Ngalan ng Tubo” with me, I noticed although you tried to hide the tears. A week ago, you came home sobbing after campaigning hard for the CRSRS Referendum and finding out that a sizeable number of students in Eng’g were voting no. And now, here you are again, dejected at the news of thousands of workers laid-off from special economic zones and abroad.

“Tibak na tibak,” Jase declared after your first compo team experience, surprised as he was by what he called your “radical transformation.” But to me, it was only natural. At the onset, you didn’t really like the label “tibak,” fraught as it is with politi-

cal underpinnings. You were at pains at the beginning, es-pecially when some of your high school friends started keeping their distance. But to some extent, you were already a tibak even during high school. After all, you fearlessly opposed Pisay’s dormitory manager for rul-

ing the dorm like a despot. Before the end of that year, she resigned. I suffered the same dorm manager when I was in Pisay, and when you broke the news at home, I felt so proud of you.

As I write this column, you and Mila are asleep beside me. The headlines tomorrow, I’m sure, will be about charter change. Of course, there will be massive protests from Anakbayan, and you, I’m equally sure, will be there. It may turn violent and bloody, and judging from this regime’s despera-tion, it probably will. So be careful, my dear Rays. I understand the demands of political dissent, and the dangers you have to face alone. But I’m still your older sister, and if I can take all the blows, there will be no hesitating. n

http://kule-0809.deviantart.comPhiliPPine Collegian

Contact us! WRITE TO US via snail mail or submit a soft copy to Rm. 401, Vinzons Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City. ••• EMAIL US kule0809@gmail.com. Save Word attachments in Rich Text Format, with INBOX, NEWSCAN or CONTRIB in the subject. ••• FAx US 9818500 local 4522. Always include your full name, address and contact details.

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Philippine Collegian | Biyernes, 6 Peb 200910 Opinyon

send in your opinions and feedback via sms! type: KULe <space> yoUr mes-sage <space> stUdent nUmBer (re-quired), name and coUrse (optional) and send to:

0927.419.2853non-Up students must indicate any school, organizational or sectoral affiliation.

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notice: messages without the correspond-ing student number (or school/organization for non-Up students) will not be published. greetings, love notes, and the like will also not be entertained.

Fight ing Maroons. . . p.4

PHySICS MONTHThe UP Physics Association

(UPPA) invites you to the annual celebration of PHYSICS MONTH - a month long series of activi-ties that aims to advance the study and awareness of physics among students and the general public. The activities are PISIKA-Wise-an (Feb. 6, 5:30pm), Owiimpics (Feb. 9, 9am), PISIKA-Husayan (Feb. 13, 5:30pm), Career Talk and Labora-tory Tour (Feb. 16, 8:30am), Battle of the 70’s (Feb. 21, 7am), UPPAg-Ibig (Feb. 27, 7pm).

The said activities are open for physics and non-physics majors. See posters for more details or con-tact Mabi at 09163830142.”

CAN yOU FEEL THE LOVE, LOVE, LOVE?

The UP Communication Re-search Society invites you as it cel-ebrates its 32nd year of living and loving research. With the theme ‘I h32rt UP CRS’, the week starts off with the opening of the UP in Love-exhibit on Monday, February 2, at the CommRes Lobby in CMC. On Tuesday, February 3, at lunch time, Eat Your Heart Out at the CMC Sky-walk! And on Wednesday, February 4, be a lover, not a fighter! Play The Game of Love at 4.30 in the after-noon in the CMC Auditorium. See you there!

THE GAME OF LOVEThe UP Communication Research

Society on it’s 32nd Anniversary in-vites everyone to join THE GAME OF LOVE on Thursday, February 4, 2009, 4:30 pm at the College of Mass Communication Auditorium. Questions will cover anything and everything about romantic love.

Just form a team of three people to participate in the contest and bring a registration fee of Php 120.,but first five teams to register get a discounted fee of Php100.Prizes are as follows: Php 3000 (1st),Php 2000 (2nd ) and Php 1000 (3rd). Contact Rej at 09276284866 or email us at upcrs32@gmail.com. Join and H32rt UPCRS!

OBRANG VIDyOThe UP Cinema invites you to at-

tend an intercollegiate short film competition, the 5th Piling Obrang Vidyo (POV5) on February 18, 19 & 20, from 1:00-5:00pm at Mag;net Cafe Katipunan Q.C.

Ticket rates are P70 for student and P100 for non-students.For tick-et reservation or inquiries, contact Jed at 0915.9875323, or drop by at College of Masscom, Plaridel Bldg. UP Diliman.

FORUM ON CHARTER CHANGEUP Samahan Tungo sa Progresi-

bong Administrasyon, invites you to attend Resolve: Is Cha-Cha the Answer to Philippine Development? a forum on Charter Change which will be held at the NCPAG Assembly Hall at 1pm-5pm on February 6.

For details please contact Anna Lopez at 09214777048 or Karla An-tonio 09064789409.

get free publi city! email us your press releases, invita-tions, etc. don’t type in aLL caps and, go easy on... the punctuation!? complete senten-ces only. dnt use txt lnguage pls. please provide a short title. Be concise, 100 words maximum.

NEWSCAN

ANO ANG MASASABI MO SA ONLINE/REALTIME COVERAGE NG COLLEGIAN SA STUDENT REFERENDUM?

ayos ung real time/online coverage ng kule mbilis n na-uupdate ang mga studnts s ngyyrng studnt referndum.Ü tama rn ung pg utilize nla ng multiply xe s dmi ng studnts n membrs nun mas marami nrreach ang balita.Ü 07-14617

Naks naman ang Collegian, kumo-coverage! lol. Anyway, na-check ko ‘yung site online, at ‘pwede’ na rin sa tingin ko. Hehe. Sana lang may partial results reports (or meron ba?), at mga video updates din para TVng-TV na ang dating! Ü 07-21400

KUNG HAyOP KA, ALIN SA CHINESE ZODIAC AT BAKIT?

Kung ako ay magiging animal sa Chi-nese Zodiac, ako ay isang puta, este tupa pala. 07-00777 BS ECE

aq e MoNKeY,. kc z0diac q un tska sgis-ag 2 ng katalnuhan,creatvnes at advn2r0us, ndi bsta2 nlo2ko at nhu2li ng trap,, sb nga ni o8-5o374,png up tlg! =] 08-50448

Dragon para tawagin ako ni recca! Ha-haha! 05-45745

Snake, kasi puro forward lan, walang backward. Hehe 06-56136 King

DrAg0n!! Wait lan, haup b un? ‘Hayup’ naman ang drg0n 4 xur. Mighty na, elegant(in a way) at legendary pa. At xempre, asteeeg. 08-24801

daga. Kxe daga c yuki (fruits basket). :] 08-33880

DOG! Kasi ilang beses nrn ako nahabol ng aso. Habulin eh. XD 07-24449 law engg

kung hay0p ako sa chinese z0diac...

Gus2 k0ng magng drag0n. Para pwd k0ng kainin c UP-President para mwala na xa at sana isama nya ang t0fi sa pagkawala nya. Hwahahaha! 07-10761, d0ng

i’l be a snake coz i am sizzling sSssSS HOT! 05-36018, engineering

kung hayop aq gsto qng mging sssnake! Pra slytherin, hekhekhek. Tska malkhain, tuso at mtalino dw ang mga letseng ahas! 08-78643 dain

kung hay0p ako,ak0 ay isang drag0n,kasi s0brang h0t ko at da-hil dito,di k0 mapigilang bumuga ng ap0y.drag0n din ak0 kasi muka ak0ng ganun. 06-35194

dragon padn forever!mbagsik kc,pwdng mkalipad sa sky,bmubuga p ng apoy!and guardian cla db?pra mbantayan at mg-gabayan q ang mga mhal q sa buhay!yihee,! 05-14252 pinkdragon bse-sped

COMMENTS Disappointd ako s voter turnout bg UP

Tacloban. Akala ko aware cla s issue on ref-erendum! Most of the graduating students, wlang pkialam. Porke aalis na cla s uniber-sidad na 2, ndi na cla magvovote! They’re showing their stupidity! 08-43915

bkit wla ng pakialam ang mga isko-lar ng bayan. Bkit mba2 ang voter turnout ng referendum. Anu b ang nangyari s UP? 06-60766

Nkakadisapoint nman.. Article about FR-elect Judy Taguiwalo sa last issue, 9th paragraph yata.. “..even if she has not yet took her oath of office”. “taken,” not “took”. Proof read nyo nang mas mabuti. Thanks. =) 03-43200

nkaka2wa namang habang bnabasa ko ang c0lumn ni ms rosa dela cruz na ‘dreams’ ay prang bnabasa k ang sarili kong kwento. astig ndi lng pla ako ang nagkakaganto, wala lang. 06-13674

Ang labo ng “DREAMS”.. It’s kinda ‘un-gettable’, hirap magets.. Parang “blogpaper” na tong kule ah.. 03-43200

i always read diana precioso’s column 1st thing wen i get a copy of kule. Love her columns and writing style. Keep it up! 07-43522, migz

Ano bng prob u diana.Akala q p nman the column bout boxing & pacman ws d start of nice & meaningful writings frm u, pero until now npk-bloggy u parin. Hmpp nkk-irita lng 2loy! 08-36019, cssp

Nk2hya ang dmi2ng mga tgaUP ang walang pakialam sa Campus ixus,nsan na ang mga mapanuri at kritikal n isko,palibhsa ung ibang tga UP pmsk d2 dhl lang sa prestige..pero tanungn ntn mga sarli ntn tagaUP nga b tlg tau o hanggng sa yabang lng?pa2nayan ntn! 05-91288

PANAWAGAN d b ngr0llbAck n ung pamasahe s up-

philc0a, up-SM, at up-pntrnc0?, sna mgr0ll-bAck n rn ang ik0t at t0ki.., =] 08-53096 yZh ncpag

gusto ko lng sana mgreklamo at ip-aalam ang pamimilit na pagbenta sa amin dito sa kamia residence hall ng council ng dalawang loverage tickets para sa u.p. fair. hindi kami pormal na tinanong kung gusto namin. hindi nmn ito academic at mas ma-hirap pa kasi hnd ksama sa bnibgay ng am-ing magulang ang pmbayad sa mga tickets na ito. sakto lang at minsan kulang pa ang pera nmn d2 para sa pagkain. tapos ngayon, bigla lang kmi i.require na bumili ng 2 tick-ets. hnd ito ang unang pagkakataon, last december, required dn kmi bumili ng ticket para sa ploning.hnd tlga kmi tnatanong ng council kng gus2 nmn bumili. may right ba kaming umayaw sa pgbayad at pagbili ng mga tickets na ito? para sa akin, hnd po tlga ito dpt gnagawa ng house council. 08-52534 kamia dormer

Xa mga ikot at toki jips..kelan kau mg-bababa ng pmasahe..helo? 30pesos n lng halos ang gas ah. 06-57113

SAGUTAN To 08-41170: hindi lahat ng nasa art col-

leges ang nagddrugs.don’t assume;outside art colleges,marami rin!btw,Bat d nlang cor-ruption atupagin nila,no? 06-06004

To 08-41170: Hndi ka artist kung ke-langan mo pa ng droga para lang makalikha ng sining. Isa pa, Jamaican ka ba? At anong napakaliit na porsyento lng ang epekto ng droga sa isang estudyante na knabukasan ng bayan? Baka tinutukoy mo vitamin C. Ü 08-78695

To 08-41170: u r ryt,govt ofixals shud undrgo drug testng,but i d0nt agri wit ur

take on d case of student users.first,we r not in jamaica.second,ther is a dfrnce between usng drugs cnciusly to achiev liminal-ity state,w/c accdg to u is dne by artists,nd usng drugs habituali,or tryng it once,w/c s d case of studnts.artists earn m0ney.pr0ouctiv,cntributng ctzens.s2dents r just d oposit.b4 they bcme productiv,they r olredy cnsumed by drugs. 05-21074

To 08-02374: tama ang sinabi ni tu-cay na “bumagal ang paglago ng GDP..” patuloy na lumalago ang ekonomiya pero bumagal ito noong ‘08. Kapag bumaba ang GDP, ibang usapan na yun gets? 07-23225 bs econ

To 06-45935: i cudnt agree m0re wd your c0mment 0n dkprecioso’s writing style..nd gven her last artcle, i thnk we nid n0t say anythng m0re.. pro i stl luk 4wrd 2 her future artcles.. sna nga lng nxt tym ung ms mkkarelate nmn tyo.. 05-70930 ba cw

To 08-41170: Isa kang twisted freshie. Sabihin mu yan sa mga drug addict at pami-lya ng drug addicts na nasira ang mga buhay dhil sa drug abuse. ANG TOTOONG ART-IST, HNDI KAILANGAN NG DROGA PARA MAKAGAWA NG MATINONG ART. And wat dd u say about rehabilitation centers?.. May epekto sa psychological dev’t? MAS MALAKI EPEKTO NG DROGA. U r a disgrace. Ma-hiya ka sa sinabi mo. 03-43200

To 08-41170: ADIK KA MEN!!! Wasak ka!!! Hndi dr0ga ang lunas sa mental bl0ck. Mag mem0-plus ka. Kung sabik na sabik kang magdr0ga nang wlang ccta sau, lumi-pad ka sa jamaica m0. At wag ka nang bu-malik. ADIK. 07-10761, d0ng

To 08-41170: tama bang ipangjustify ng kahayukan sa paggamit ng iligal ng droga ang art?di ako naniniwalang utak UP ginag-amit mo.think pre. 04-46454 levs engg

To 06-70986: sa pgka2alam q dti p my LWD ksma un dun s bnbyarang 300 pRa s lab fee, ngaun eh hiniwalay lng ung 200 f0r LWD fee there4 300 p rn ung b2yaran, nxt tym kc alamin munaang lhat2..Ü 05-70216, bs che

TANONG:1. Ano ang masasabi mo sa pagkapasa ng

ChaCha sa house of reresentatives?2. Ano ang gusto mong ending ng Eva

Fonda?

the two fraternities have already formed a truce. The Collegian source added that the two fraternities agreed on conse-quences for the party who will initiate another violent incident.

The Collegian contacted Grand Ar-chons Eric Pasion of Upsilon and Ron-ald Chua of Sigma Rho to comment on the matter. Pasion declined to com-ment while Chua said that the Collegian should ask the administration instead on the matter.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Elizabeth Enriquez also refused to com-ment on the matter, saying, “The inci-dent is still under investigation.”

Trials on Mendez case delayedMeanwhile, law suits are still pend-

ing related to the death of Cris Mendez, a public administration student killed in a hazing incident allegedly conducted by Sigma Rho in August 2007.

The hearing for an P8-million civil case against Dr. Franscico Cruz, who brought Mendez to the Veterans Me-morial Medical Center, in the Que-zon City Regional Trial Court is set on March 30. Mendez was declared dead upon arrival in the hospital.

The Mendez family filed the civil case in November 2007 against Dr.Cruz, his wife Myrna and their son Francisco Miguel, a Sigma Rho member, for fail-ing to inform Cris’s family of his death.

Meanwhile, an administrative case against Dr. Cruz is also pending at the Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC). Cristina Mendez, mother of Cris, told the Collegian that the pretrial was postponed on January 12 due to failure of the PRC to release a pretrial order and was resheduled on March 6. n

With reports From paULine gidget esteLLa

trabaho sa pagsasara ng kumpanyang intel na nakabase sa cavite ngayong abril: 1,800

Bilang ng mga manggagawang mawawalan pa ng trabaho sa pag-sasara ng 24 pang pabrika sa cavite ngayong taon: 17,000

Bilang ng mga pilipinong mawawalan pa ng trabaho sa susunod na anim na buwan, ayon sa doLe: 200,000

Kabuuang bilang ng mga pilipi-nong mawawalan ng trabaho ngayong 2009, ayon sa pagtaya ng citigroup, isang ahensyang pampinansiyang na-kabase sa estados Unidos: 470,000

populasyon ng probinsya ng an-tique, ayon sa 2000 census ng nso: 471,000Kapos na tugon

pondong inilaan para sa “economic stimulus fund” na sinasabing tugon ng gobyerno sa epekto ng krisis-pam-pinansiya: P56.1 bilyon

pondong ilalaan ng estado Uni-dos para sa kanilang sariling stimulus fund: P42.3 trilyon

pondong inilaan para sa “pantawid

pamilya pilipino program” ng depart-ment of social Welfare and develop-ment na naglalayong tulungan ang pinakamahihirap na pamilyang upang makaraos sa krisis: P10 bilyon

Bilang ng Ligo sardines na maipa-pamahagi sa bawat pilipino kung ip-ambibili nito ang nasabing halaga: 9

Bilang ng mahihirap na pamilyang masasaklaw ng nasabing programa: 640,000

Bilang ng pamilyang pilipino na itinuturing na mahirap, ayon sa nscB: 4.7 milyon

Bilang ng pamilyang pilipino na itinuturing na mahirap, ayon sa ibon: 13.9 milyon

halagang inilaan ng gobyerno sa adjustment measure program para sa mga mawawalan ng trabaho sa bansa dahil sa krisis, ayon sa doLe: P122 milyon

halagang matatanggap ng bawat pilipinong inaasahang mawawalan ng trabaho ngayong taon kung pagha-hati-hatian nila ang nasabing pondo : P260Lugaming manggagawa

Bilang ng mga napauwing over-seas Filipino Worker (oFW) mula sa

taiwan dahil sa malawakang tang-galan sa trabaho noong disyembre: 1,200

tinatayang bilang ng mga mapa-pauwi pang mga oFW sa susunod na mga buwan, ayon sa migrante: 100,000

halagang inilaan ng gobyerno para sa kanila: P250 milyon

halagang matatanggap ng bawat isang oFW na mapapauwi kung pa-ghahatian nila ang nasabing halaga: P2,500

halagang kailangan upang maka-pamuhay nang maayos sa Kamay-nilaan ang isang pamilyang may anim na miyembro sa loob ng isang araw, ayon sa nscB: P904

Bilang ng araw na itatagal ng na-banggit na dole-out ng gobyerno: mahigit dalawa n

Sanggunian: National Statistics Office, National Statistical Coordination Board, Department of Labor and Employment, National Bureau of

Economic Research, European Union, Citigroup, Ibon Foundation Inc., Migrante

International, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Pinoy Weekly, Bulatlat, inquirer.net, journal.

com.ph, aljazeera.net, at FT.com

Sigma Rho. . . p.2 Pangunang. . . p.3

three remaining games this season. The Maroons will have their next game against the FEU Tamaraws at the same gym on February 4.

Lady Maroons, no chance for final four

The UP Lady Maroons will have to hold on to dear life as they have no chance anymore to clinch a slot in the final four after suffering their ninth loss against AdU Falcons at The Arena in San Juan on February 1.

Captain ball Carmina Barcelon said, “Since we have three games re-maining, technically, these [games] have no bearing anymore... [Our players] are practically beginners and we have three players injured, but we are still doing our best and our goal is to end this [volleyball season] united.”

The first round of the game saw the Lady Falcons’ nearly flawless streak of attacks outdoing notable blocks and spikes from Marie Eileen Quejas, Rebecca Gail Montero and Barcelon. The round ended with a

dismal 11-25, in favor of the raging Lady Falcons.

Remarkable switches from UP’s Maan Panganiban, Patricia Nario and Princess Castellvi initially high-lighted the second round. But the rest of the set saw the UP players be-ing outdone by AdU’s teamwork as the round ended in favor of the Lady Falcons, 22-25. The game ended dur-ing the third round with UP losing, 21-25.

The Lady Maroons will have their next game against the FEU Lady Tama-raws at The Arena on February 7. n

11GrapiksPhilippine Collegian | Biyernes, 6 Peb 2009

The Kabisihan and Kabwisitan Edition

D2 na me, wer na u? oh, nand2 ka rin pala! Hallaw! Haggardness mode this past week talaga because of the OSR Referendum na isang “makasaysayang pagdadalumat sa kaibuturan ng hina-gap ng mga isko at iska sa buong tanikala ng sangkayupihan.” Ka-nose-bleed! Chos. Pero seriously, to the highest level talaga itetch with matching blow-by-blow ( job talaga namin ang to serve the people! Bwahahahaha!) updates pa ng poll sa http://collegiannews.multiply.com/. (Chekawt na!)

Kabisihan istatchu?1. Well, kabisihan blues talaga itong referendum na naganap at on going na bilangan, bilang

nakaka-tense at nakaka-pressure ang electing, voting, counting and everything, like, you know? Like, I know right?! And sa mga bumoto, yes lang na yes! Like, when you’re making sagot to ur boy-friend or girlfriend nung nanliligaw pa sila sa inyo at kahit na nung niyayaya ka na nya…*wicked laughter*. O di ba, yes lang ng yes! Gusto mo un?

2. May mga momentz na bonggang bongga ang kabisihan natin, pero merong isang tae este tao pala sa may gawing SC as in Sugar Camp na nagbabantay (yez, kamukha nya si Bantay the Dog) sa luntiang lungga na mistulang pasan ang lahat ng kamalasan sa mundo dahil sa kanyang pagiging super kasungitan. Wis naman siya ang boss pero mas mataray pa sa customer kung mambara. Kamusta ka naman? 2009 na teh, magbagong buhay na! Di ka yayaman nyan. :)

Kabwisitan, ako na toh!1. On the other hand, ang kabwisitan blues naman ay yung mga nag no-no-no—mga nono! You

know, the “nono sa ponso”! Char. Like, I know hirayt!? Tabi-tabi lang po… stone, stone sa heaven, ang ma-hit, don’t be angry… hihi. Haay na ko, basta ang nag no-no-nobena jan ng mga churvalu-lus…may the curse be with you! *parang ang harsh lang*

2. And by the way, Milky Way and My Way, isa pang kabwisitan na nasa UP na since forever ay si Money Kasukalan ng The Yupi na daig pa ang mga Panginoong May Lupa sa pang-aapi. Harhar. (Kung gusto nyong makita kung ano itsura nya, bumili kayo ng Lotsa Pizza at tusuk-tusukin ng ballpen ang cover ng box…voila! Portrait na!)

P.S. To 20187-40: I know how u are suffering from ur starrlker and I feel for u. Kaya

nga ipapatapon na namin siya sa asylum dahil its as if ure being so aping-api na and all. Like, ure so kawawa na talaga. Like emotional trauma. Like, huhuhu. Gum-aganon?

O sige na, baka kung ano pang masabi ko…chow! ^^

SIPAT Empty Treasure, Batad, Banaue -timothy medrano

penalty box with less than 10 minutes in the game.

Coach Muescam likewise said the team is already on top of their game skills-wise. After five games, the Maroon Booters have only conceded a single goal – a penalty kick from Far Eastern University after an accidental handball. The Maroons were

able to answer back with two goals during that game.

In the other game that day, the UP women’s football team was not as lucky, as it succumbed to the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles, 0-1, courtesy of a goal very similar to UP’s on the men’s side. The Maroon Lady Booters are in last place after the first round with 4 losses and no wins so far. n

Maroon Booters. . . p.2

A L A N A B A N G M A H I L I G M A G - D R O W I N G S A U P ?Join the Philippine Collegian's graphics section! exams can be taken anytime, 401

Vinzons hall. Magdala ng portfolio at drawing materials.Sumali at simulang iguhit ang iyong kapalaran!

Akalain mo nga naman at nabasa mo ito. Oc-Oc ka nga! And for that, akyat na ng Kule opis at magapply bilang lay-out artist! Tara Go! Hinihintay ka na namin! *wink*

Editoryal

opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng unibersidad ng pilipinas - diliman

Punong Patnugot Larissa Mae R. Suarez

Kapatnugot Melane A. Manalo

Tagapamahalang Patnugot Frank Lloyd B. Tiongson

Patnugot sa Balita Antonio D. Tiemsin Jr.

Mga Patnugot sa Grapiks Piya C. ConstantinoCandice Anne L. Reyes

Tagapamahala ng Pinansiya Ma. Rosa Cer M. dela Cruz

Mga Kawani Louise Vincent B. AmanteJanno Rae T. GonzalesJohn Francis C. LosariaTimothy MedranoArchie Luigi A. OclosJan Marcel V. RagazaDianne Marah E. SayamanOm Narayan A. Velasco Mixkaela Z. VillalonNico Villarete

Pinansiya Amelyn J. Daga

Tagapamahala sa SirkulasyonPaul John Alix

Sirkulasyon Gary GabalesRicky IcawatAmelito JaenaGlenario Omamalin

Mga Katuwang na Kawani Trinidad BasilanGina Villas

Pamuhatan Silid 401 Bulwagang Vinzons, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman, Lungsod Quezon

Telefax 9818500 lokal 4522

Email kule0809@gmail.com

Website http://philippinecollegian.tkhttp://kule-0809.deviantart.com

Kasapi Solidaridad - UP System-wide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ OrganizationsCollege Editors Guild of the Philippines

Philippine Collegian

12 OpinyonBiyernes, 6 Peb 2009

abusing Power

archie oclos

With the threat of numerous plunder and HRV cases waiting at the end of her term, Arroyo is resorting to different means to extend her stay

Voting for your rights

considering this regime’s track re-cord, it comes as no surprise that a general known as

the “butcher” for his callous vio-lation of human rights could now be given the opportunity to con-tinue inflicting such tactics, in the name of law and order.

The possibility of appointing retired Major General Jovito Pal-paran to the Dangerous Drugs Board comes at a time when drugs has become a hyped issue, possibly to cover more pertinent, pressing national concerns.

For even as Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s final term draws to a close, issues of corruption and widespread poverty continue to plague her regime.

With the threat of numerous plunder and HRV cases waiting at the end of her term, Arroyo is resorting to different means to extend her stay. For instance, the proposal for charter change has already been approved in the Lower House, awaiting a plenary hearing.

Yet beyond these more obvi-ous moves, the administration’s increasingly desperate tactics to stay in power becomes more ap-parent in the recent attempts to infiltrate all government branches with Malacañang appointees.

The message of considering such a motion is clear: reward awaits those loyal to the Arroyo administration.

Not surprisingly, this planned appointment caused outrage

among many people’s organiza-tions and human rights advo-cate groups. Several years ago, Palparan gained notoriety as the government’s executioner at the height of the counter-insurgen-cy program Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL), which caused an alarming rise in the number of human rights violations (HRVs) in the country over the past few years.

With the 2010 deadline of the OBL’s second phase fast ap-proaching, the toll of HRVs has reached a total of 977 cases of ex-trajudicial killings and 201 enforced disappearances since 2001. Of these cases, only a handful has been legally filed and brought to justice.

The alarming increase in HRVs during the Arroyo regime has gained the attention of foreign institutions such as the United Nations, which linked the admin-istration and its military wing to the HRV cases. Even government agencies such as the Commission on Human Rights, the Melo Com-mission and the Court of Appeals has blamed the military as well as the police force as the primary culprit of most HRV cases in the country.

Ironically, however, many Mal-acañang appointees were previ-ously military personnel.

Palparan himself is blamed for the summary execution of Eddie Gumanoy and Eden Marcellana in Oriental Mindoro, where he was appointed commander of the 7th

infantry battalion in 2003 and 2004. These were only two of the many cases of political killings accounted against Palparan, and only a few of the hundreds of unsolved cases of HRVs in the country.

Arroyo’s allies, however, remain untouchable by

the law while she is in a position of power. Instead of holding him accountable to the HRVs filed against him, for instance, the gov-ernment gave Palparan an award after his retirement.

However, with the global spot-light bringing to the fore the in-creased number of HRVs in the country, the Arroyo administra-tion has decided to turn to the legal arena to conveniently quell opposing views. Instead of re-sorting to extrajudicial methods such as murder and torture, the government seeks ways to legally prosecute its enemies, as dem-onstrated by the recent filing of

cases against 72 known activ-ists, mass leaders and members of people’s organizations in the Southern Tagalog area. This latest tactic only further

proves the desperation of the Ar-royo administration to cover up its anomalous dealings and at-tempts to remain in power.

Palparan has already proved himself a loyal ally of the admin-istration in the past. His possible appointment to the DDB, then, bodes ill for Arroyo’s critics. Sev-eral groups expressed their con-cerns to the extent to which he will exercise his powers, possibly using drugs as an excuse to arrest those who oppose the govern-ment.

Appointing Palparan to the DDB can only be viewed as a stra-tegic move on the government’s part to counter its critics. With all legal bases covered, the so-called enemies of the state — activists and mass leaders alike — have nowhere else to turn to.

However, even as Arroyo seeks to secure her position beyond 2010 through charter change schemes and strategic govern-ment appointments, her regime continues to crumble with every economic and political strife that hits the country. Not even by re-appointing Palparan in a position of power can she counter the nu-merous criticisms of her regime. In the end, not even the most loyal of cronies and allies can pre-vent the inevitable downfall of the ruling tyranny. n