NEWS | TL;DR: What happened at the 50th GASC?
By Elaine Diaz and Marianne De Jesus
Student councils across the University of the Philippines (UP) System held its bi-annual General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) on January 11–12, via Zoom. Reports from councils addressed the students’ struggles under the remote learning setup and the pressing issues the country is facing today.
To ensure the representation of the student body in the Board of Regents (BOR), councils selected UP Diliman and Cebu nominee Renee Co as the 38th Student Regent (SR) via consensus. Siegfred Severino of UPLB and Francesca Kapunan of UPB are the second and third SR nominees, respectively.
Unit Reports
Seven University Student Councils (USCs) presented the end-of-term report from their units. These councils were UP Baguio (UPB), UP Cebu (UPC), UP Diliman (UPD), UP Los Baños (UPLB), UP Manila (UPM), UP Mindanao (UPMin), and UP Visayas (UPV).
Common among their grievances were the difficulties of online learning. UPV lamented the administration’s lack of support for the student bodies’ demands despite conducting dialogues.
UPM said that activities of student formations and organizations were evidently reduced as not all cannot cope with the online setup. The same goes with UPC as their publication releases were also delayed due to lack of manpower. While, some council members from UPMin have also resigned from their post as a result.
Moreover, the inaccessibility to stable internet connection and lack of conducive learning spaces also leaves UPLB and UPD students behind, where few students were forced to file for a leave of absence (LOA).
With these problems, councils initiated relief drives and fundraising events to help fellow iskolars. From the surveys released by the Office of the Student Regent (OSR), around 5,600 students from UP could not cope with the online learning setup which evidently contradicts the call to #NoStudentLeftBehind.
On another note, the rampancy of red-tagging amid the pandemic raises the concerns of the USCs. Most victims of the vilification include student formations and school publications. The incidents mostly took place on social media, where names and photos of students have been branded as members of the underground communist movement, deemed by authorities as terrorists.
UPV USC said in their report that faculty, students, and councils have experienced villifications and their campus was labeled as the breeding ground of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDF) by suspected state forces.
Meanwhile, widespread tarpaulins red-baiting student leaders have proliferated in Baguio City naming National Democratic Organizations (NDMOs) and councils, warning people to be wary of their presence.
In UPD, the Antonio Parlade-led National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) attacked the College of Social Science and Philosophy publication SINAG claiming them as a front of the communist underground movement. Alliance group of journalists, Union of Journalists of the Philippines-UPD, was also red-tagged by the same state agency.
Outgoing Student Regent Isaac Punzalan vowed that the body will continue to fight back against these attacks as such have no spaces in the university. Resolutions to improve the security of the student body and defend the UP system against malicious and dangerous claims were adopted.
UPM Unit Report
The UP Manila (UPM) USC discussed the challenges encountered during the conduct of remote learning, especially among the skill-intensive courses. Among the concerns discussed is the lack of resources and evident digital divide resulting in the problems of conducting face to face classes.
Since most courses in the unit are practical-based and skill-intensive, UP College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy, College of Dentistry, and College Nursing plan to push through with face-to-face classes in the upcoming second semester.
Moreover, the UPM USC also tackled the academic burden faced by students resulting in mental health issues. In line with this, the UPM USC discussed their initiatives primarily on mental health concerns.
No plans were drafted in terms of student council elections despite highlighting student council fatigue among officers resulting in resignations. They also noted a decrease in active student formations in UPM and problems in confirming class suspensions since UPM has its own memorandum.
Adopted Resolutions
In line with the Assembly’s official agenda, the councils proposed, amended, and adopted a total of eight resolutions tackling the different issues experienced by each campus. Amendments were raised after the presentation of each resolution.
The Resolution №2021–001, entitled “A Resolution to Intensify the Campaign for the Safe Reopening of Schools and to Urge the UP Administration to Heed the Call of its Students for Gradual Resumption of Face-to-Face Classes,” is co-authored by UPV USC, UP Visayas University Student Council, UPV College of Arts and Sciences Student Council, UPV College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences Student Council, UPV College of Management Student Council, UPV School of Technology Student Council, UPV Tacloban College Student Council. It heeds the call for a safe reopening of classes in light of the challenges posed by the remote learning set-up.
Meanwhile, UPC USC, UPMin USC, UPMin College of Science and Mathematics Student Council, UPMin College of Humanities and Social Sciences Student Council, and UPMin School of Management Student Council’s Resolution №2021–002, entitled “A Resolution to Launch a Systemwide Action to Defend the University and the Filipino People Against Red-tagging, Intensified Militarization, and Fascism of the Duterte Administration,” enjoined a system-wide action against the attacks of the Duterte Administration on student councils, publications, staff, and minorities. Various groups and students continue to be red-tagged as terrorists while minorities and local communities face militarization.
On the other hand, UPD College of Education Student Council’s (UPD CESC) Resolution №2021–003, entitled “A Resolution Urging the General Assembly of Student Councils to Demand Quality, Compassionate, and Relevant Education Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic,”urged the GASC for policies and plans that adheres to the immediate demands and needs of the academic community. This includes a campaign against tuition and other school fees in all schools.
In response to the education crisis, UPD CESC also authored Resolution №2021–004, entitled “A Resolution Urging the General Assembly of Student Councils to Demand for the Yearly Instatement and Proper Distribution of the Special Education Fund (SpEd Fund),” which called for the consistent annual provision and proper allocation of the special education fund to resist an education system that alienates PWDs.
As the Health Sciences Center of the UP System, UPM USC’s Resolution №2021–005, entitled “A Resolution Calling for the Immediate Response to the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic and for Holding the Duterte Administration Accountable for its Criminal Negligence,” urges UP to assert for better funding for the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and Molecular Laboratories, and proper compensation for health care workers. It also calls for holding the Duterte administration accountable for its reactive COVID-19 response.
In response to the worsening political climate in the country, the UPB USC presented Resolution №2021–006, entitled “A Resolution to Ensure and Maintain Genuine and Democratic Student Representation in Student Councils across the University of the Philippines Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Worsening Political Climate in the Country,” calling for a representation that is not limited to online election but also considers positive psychosocial health and well-being of student councils and their constituents.
On the other hand, the UPLB USC, UPLB College of Economics and Management Student Council, and UPLB College of Human Ecology Student Council co-authored Resolution №2021–007, entitled “A Resolution for the General Assembly of Student Councils to Campaign for Pro-People Disaster Risk Reduction, Management, and Response Programs,” which calls for proper responses, sufficient funding, and accountability in line with the recent calamities faced by the country. They emphasized that the donation drives organized by student councils only serve as a band-aid solution to this pressing problem.
Lastly, the Assembly adopted Resolution №2021–008, entitled “A Resolution to Amplify the People’s Movement for the Junking of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 2020,” authored by the UPD USC which called for the junking of the ATA which was passed during an economic crisis. The ATA and the establishment of the NTF-ELCAC are currently being used to attack activists and minorities.
Selection of 38th Student Regent
The process of selections of the 38th Student Regent was conducted by presenting their visions and plans and answering the queries of the student councils.
Among the three SR nominees, UP Diliman and Cebu nominee Renee Louise Co was selected as the 38th Student Regent via consensus. Co will be the sole student representative to the BOR until January 2022.
In her presentation, SR-select Co highlighted the pressing issues the people experience within and outside the university due to the Duterte administration’s failure. Some of these include the passing of the ATA, red-baiting, continuing education plan despite inadequacies, and the slow and inefficient response to pandemic.
Co emphasized that it is not only the Duterte administration that failed to respond, but the UP administration as well as they failed to address the concerns of the students in the past dialogues.
“Ang UP admin ay dinisenfranchise ang students sa right to education,” she lamented as she argued that there is a systematic inequality that privileges the few and disenfranchises the vast majority.
She then discussed the importance of youth and student leadership and highlighted the importance of the OSR as it further develops the peoples’ political consciousness.
Co also believes that building unity within the UP system is a vital step to amplify the students’ voices. Her plans include developing system-wide alliances, strengthening student institutions, and opening a dialogue with the administration.
When asked about her stand on the highly-controversial Return Service Agreement (RSA), Co responded by saying, “Rather than tackle the problem at the policy level, ilalagay pa nila ‘yung control sa individuals. Tutol tayo sa RSA. Ipagpatuloy natin ang work ng UP Manila at past SRs sa laban against RSA.
“‘Yung RSA dapat alisin ‘yung clause wherein “[students] need to pay in case of breach.” [‘Yung] service to the Philippines dapat hindi ito binabangga sa right to education. Dapat ina-uphold sila pareho,” Co added.
On the trend of resilience of UP admin when conducting dialogues with the student representative, Co says, “We will conduct mobilization[s]. Ito ‘yung student demands, we will assert them militantly para masunod at ma-consider along [with] the interest [of] sectors as the major key factor in making decisions.”
Co believes that providing a lot of tactics could be an avenue to convince the members of the BOR to reconsider their positions.
When asked about her take on the current situation of admissions since no entrance exam will be held this year, Co argued that the testing systems and the whole educational system is flawed. She then reiterated that the current system implemented is a barrier to free and accessible quality education for all.
As a former editor-in-chief of SINAG, Co has been a staunch press freedom advocate. As part of her plans as the new SR, she stated that they will be conducting activities and information drives to uphold press freedom and communicate with the public and constituents. Co aims to battle misinformation and disinformation.
“We have to resound how these curtails the right to information and [its] chilling effect to the freedom of expression. We will ensure that the state will not further commit these acts,” Co added.
Co delivered a short speech after her appointment and reiterated the utmost importance of Duterte’s ouster as problems would not end as long as Duterte’s in office.
The two-day 50th GASC, presided by outgoing SR Punzalan, officially adjourned with the singing of the UP Naming Mahal.
