Words by Claudette Alba and Nian Calabia
Newly elected student leaders from the University Student Council and College Student Council (USC-CSC) elections officially took their oath on June 14 at the Student Union Building.
Mark Angelo Roma and Anne Margarett Dolar will lead the USC roster as chairperson and vice chairperson respectively for the academic year 2024-2025. They are joined by eight elected councilors.
All members of USC slate come from the sole political university-wide alliance Samahan ng Kabataan para sa Bayan (SAKBAYAN).
In the concluded USC-CSC elections on May 22, Roma gained a total of 3,822 votes and 1,476 abstains, whereas Dolar received 4,015 votes and 1,283 abstains.
A total of 36.62% voter’s turnout was recorded, with 5,298 voters out of 14,284 that participated in this year’s elections.
2024 USC-CSC Final voter’s turnout
For the CSC results, the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) had the highest voter turnout with 535 voters, around 57.90% of their eligible voting population.
Meanwhile, only one councilor was elected out of the 10 seats in the College of Development Communication (CDC), making it the lowest number of elected councilors for this year’s USC-CSC election.
During TAPATAN 2024, SAKBAYAN mentions that the lack of students running for slates can be rooted on three things: the socio-economic situation of students where they aim to graduate on time, the output-based system of education, and the fascist state that instills fear among students to participate (READ: Bumoto ka na ba ngayong eleksyon?).
Central Electoral Board (CEB) Chairperson and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Janette Malata-Silva emphasizes that student leaders are the primary recipients of state attacks, hence she understands the fear of other students to run for a position.
Yet, she still hopes that in the upcoming elections, more students will be encouraged to run for office.
“Pagsilbihan ‘di lamang ang kapwa kamag-aral kundi [pati] ang ating bayan.”
(Serve not only your fellow students, but also our country.)
On defending academic freedom
Persistent calls and issues faced inside and outside the university were raised especially during the election period, serving as another challenge to the next elected student leaders.
In his closing remarks during the announcement of winners of the 2024 USC-CSC elections last May 22, former UPLB USC Chairperson Gio Olivar stresses the need for student leaders, especially that students and the youth sector are becoming more vulnerable to state attacks.
During the USC Meeting De Avance held last May 17, Roma emphasized that it is only right for students, workers, farmers, and several other sectors to assert their rights and amplify their calls and demands to the state.
Roma elaborates that filing counter charges against state forces is one form of asserting one’s rights, and that despite the trumped-up charges, threats, harassments, and intimidation from the state, resorting to a “defense state” should not be an option.
Meanwhile, newly elected USC councilor Arce Lemuel Sanico considers a lack of action from the UPLB administration, indicating that the administration must “outright” defend and protect its constituents.
In an open forum discussion during the selection process of the next UPLB Chancellor held last August 2023, UPLB Chancellor Jose Camacho Jr. assures that they only “needed some time” to convene with the resolution and heed on the calls of the students in relation with redtagging issues and Safe Haven Resolution (SHR) violations (READ: CJCJ to serve three more years as UPLB Chancellor; urged to seal Safe Haven Resolution).
However, it seems that the implementation of the resolution in the campus remains hazy.
Roma further stresses that despite the resolution being passed last 2021, violations of SHR have been rampant, with the increased number of military and police mobile entering the campus. There is also an increase in state surveillance and redtagging among UPLB students since the beginning of the year.
Police mobile entering the campus last May 24
Photo source: Safe Haven Watch
Last April 17, the USC and Youth Advocates for Peace with Justice UPLB (YAPJUST-UPLB) held a dialogue with the UPLB Administration. Among the agendas include the SHR, wherein the stance of the student representatives regarding the convention of the University Council (UC) Committee on National Issues has long been overdue.
According to Roma, the UC Convention was supposed to be last May 8. However, the USC was later informed by the UPLB administration that it would not be pushed through due to several administrators being busy. As of press time, no rescheduled date has been set.
Moreover, elements of the military also lead webinars through the National Service Training Program (NSTP) classes, where they conduct “national security awareness sessions”.
In the said webinar, students have reported that it was led by retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Major General (MGen) Peale John Bondoc, where he labeled progressive mass organizations as ‘reserve’ for the New People’s Army (NPA). He also accused students and the youth as a ‘source of manpower’ on “Communist Terrorist Movement White Areas” (RELATED STORY: UPLB progressives condemn red-tagging in NSTP webinar; USC calls for ‘thorough review’ of lecture materials).
In relation to this, the CALABARZON Regional Taskforce to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) crafted a resolution earlier this year entitled, “A Resolution Enjoining the Department of Education (DepEd)-Laguna, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) 4 CALABARZON and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)- Laguna to Support the Conduct of National Security Awareness Sessions in the Secondary and Tertiary Schools and Technical-Vocational Institutes (TVIS) to Prevent and Counter Radicalization and Violent Extremism (PCRVE), and Stop Youth and Student Recruitment into the NPA’s Violent Armed Struggle”.
The resolution aims to conduct “national security awareness sessions” on schools and universities in every province in the Southern Tagalog region, led by military personnel. It was also filed to suppress and prevent the “radicalization” and “recruitment” of students into the NPA.
Despite the resolution having only been approved in Laguna Peace and Order Council (LPOC), there are already reports even from other universities where the military conducts the same seminar, redtagging progressive individuals and mass organizations.
Among these schools include Los Baños Senior High School, where officers from the 2nd Civil Military Operations Battalion of the Philippine Army (2CMO PA) conducted a seminar last Month.
According to Karapatan Laguna, military forces labeled those expressing critical viewpoints as recruiters of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Meanwhile, a Conduct of Community Information Awareness Approach Program (CIAAP) was conducted at Dasmariñas Integrated High School (DIHS) last April 24.
Elements of the police led the said seminar, where they redtagged mass organizations such as League of Filipino Students and Anakbayan, accusing them of “recruiting the youth to become part of the NPA”.
This is not the first instance of redtagging in DIHS. Last September 3, 2023, another seminar was conducted, where they redtagged Kabataan Partylist as well.
Kabataan Partylist – Southern Tagalog adds that in Rizal, a resolution entitled Provincial Resolution No.3 series of 2023 where CIAAP in senior high school will also be conducted in the province.
On forwarding issues and demands
Last April and May, the UPLB Office of the Chancellor released a memorandum requesting faculty members to consider shifting to online modes of learning due to extreme heat conditions and are asked to observe precautionary measures for those who are unable to shift to remote learning.
Several areas in Laguna recorded heat indices beyond 40° in the months of April and May, leading local government units to suspend face-to-face classes.
Full online classes were not implemented in UPLB as student councils and organizations believe that it is not the solution to the extreme heat conditions.
Instead, the UPLB USC urged the students to coordinate with their faculty-in-charge. They also encouraged all educational institutions to create long-term mechanisms that will help ease the burden of the students (READ: Hindi suspensyon ang pangmatagalang solusyon).
This is further discussed during TAPATAN 2024 where the candidates reiterated why online classes do not solve the problem that comes along with the heat index.
CVM Chairperson Karl Sabino adds that among the problems that students may face when online classes are fully implemented include lack of gadgets, conducive working environment, and intermittent internet connection (READ: Tungo sa multisektoral na pagtingin sa isyung remote learning).
These constraints have already been experienced by both students and faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushes the call for the UPLB administration to have concrete plans and prioritize students’ welfare especially in extreme situations such as this.
With that, the significance of faculty-student consultations were further emphasized, stating that the interests of students and faculty should not be conflicted. This can be achieved through unification of the grievances of both students and professors and constant communication with both parties.
Furthermore, it was also highlighted that the mechanisms of airing concerns and grievances should be improved, considering that most students feel more comfortable posting their concerns on the freedom wall or social media.
While SAKBAYAN acknowledges this [posting on freedom wall] as freedom of expression, the students’ fear of expressing their concerns can be rooted in bureaucracy. CDC Chairperson Gean Magbuo points out that the problems faced by the UPLB community all come from the current system.
In line with that, the Students’ Agenda and List of General Demands (SAGD) will persist, as they believe that this is where the concerns and needs of their fellow students will be reflected.
The SAGD is regularly updated and includes the most comprehensive list of campaigns and general demands of the student body, which highlights relevant issues on education, basic student services, academic freedom, campus security, and policies that have been observed and implemented within the university.
The USC stresses that it is necessary that the unresolved concerns of the students be forwarded for immediate and concrete actions of the UPLB Administrations.
With the incoming academic year, persisting and new issues that demand for immediate action awaits the new set of student leaders. Dolar states that for a genuine and inclusive representation, the newly elected councils will actively interact with students, as well as several alliances within the university. This also includes student councils throughout the Southern Tagalog Region.
SAKBAYAN also ensures that they will have continuous cooperation with the university sectors and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Batong Malake, especially in relation to security concerns within the campus.
Moreover, campaigns that concern the broad masses, such as climate issues, Charter Change, sovereignty, workers’ rights, genuine land reform, and other calls and demands of various sectors will be amplified and emphasized along with issues that the youth and the educational system currently faces.
Earlier this month, All Student Council Assembly (ASCA), UPLB Perspective, and All UP Academic Employees Union-LB (AUPAEU-LB) introduced the UPLB Anti-ChaCha Network. As stated on its Facebook page, it is an alliance which unites all individuals from UPLB who denounce Charter Change or the amendment of the 1987 Philippine constitution where human rights, government structure, and economic policies are based.
Roma declares that the USC and CSC will continue the fight for a nationalist, scientific, and mass-oriented type of education while extending their services towards the Filipino people.
“Ang kampanyang masa na itinataguyod natin sa loob ng mahabang panahon hanggang sa mapagtagumpayan natin ang iba’t ibang mga kampanya kasama ang iba pang sektor katulad na lamang sa lupa, sa sahod, pati na rin sa batayang karapatan ng iba’t iba pang mga sektor sa ating lipunan.”
(The mass campaign that we have been promoting for a long time will persist until we succeed in our campaigns, along with several other sectors, such as on land, wages, as well as basic human rights of various sectors in the country.) [P]
photos from SAKBAYAN and [P] files
layout by Ed Tan
UPLB Perspective 