TL;DR: What happened at eGASC2021
By Natasha Carolina
A total of four resolutions were adopted by the student councils from across the University of the Philippines (UP) System who gathered for the emergency General Assembly of Student Councils (eGASC) on Saturday, December 11, 2021 via Zoom. During the assembly, the UP Manila University Student Council (UPM USC) reported the proposed establishment of UP Manila Hainan, which was signed by the administration without prior consultation with its constituents.
Unit Reports
UP’s constituent units (CUs) presented unit reports, of which they emphasized the efforts to Defend UP and its academic freedom, as well as Ligtas na Balik Eskwela (LBE).
The UP Cebu USC reported that they have created the Cebu Against Budget Cut Alliance and have completed the search for Chancellorship. They are currently pushing for a student handbook revision and pushing for students’ rights.
UP Diliman USC launched Bakunahan, a free vaccination program to push for LBE. They discussed the rebranding and launching of Diliman Press Freedom Alliance: UP Diliman, the main medium to amplify the press freedom of councils and publications.
UP Los Banos USC continues to demand for localized action as university-wide remote learning policies are thrown back at the college level.
Meanwhile, UP Mindanao USC is pushing for the institutionalization of the UPPsychServ to address the mental health concerns in their unit. They are also lobbying student demands due to unreasonable and unjustified heavy academic workload.
Finally, UP Visayas (UPV) USC created an LBE campaign, which is under consultation with different organizations in the university. They have publicized bust cards and released unity statements regarding National Task Force to ENd Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) dialogue with the UPV admin.
UPM Unit Report
The UPM USC reported that there is a memorandum of understanding between the UP and Qingdao Top Education management Co. Ltd., for the proposed establishment of UP Manila Hainan. On their twitter account, the council clarified that the UPM admin signed the agreement without prior consultation to its constituents.
Furthermore, the UPM USC continues the campaign, Stop and Review Return Service Agreement (RSA), a contract that is coercive and repressive as it steps on students’ right to free education. They reported that 5 out of 7 colleges are holding face-to-face classes, the first UP unit to do so. All students attending face-to-face classes were required to avail health insurance.
Meanwhile, the UPM School of Health Sciences (SHS) Baler is still waiting for retrofitting initiatives from UPM for limited face-to-face classes. They reported a 100% passing rate for the July and November Nursing Licensure, a feat they’ve been achieving since 2014.
Adopted Resolutions
Among the adopted resolutions was the extension of the office of 38th UP Student Regent (SR) Renee Co until the 53rd GASC to synchronize the terms of the UP student councils for smoother conduct of campaigns and events in the UP System.
SR Co was selected during the second semester of Academic Year 2020–2021 as a term extension for the previous SR was made, putting the SC elections out of sync with the SR selection. The GASC ensures that student representation in the Board of Regents, especially during this time with preparations of the safe gradual reopening of campuses and the institutionalization of the UP-Department of National Defense (DND) Accord, remains preserved.
In line with this is the resolution to defend the university and uphold its academic freedom by amplifying the campaign efforts of the Defend UP Network and continuing to forge united with Katipunan ng Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP (KASAMA sa UP), UP Rises against Tyranny and Dictatorship (UPRISE), and Youth Act Now Against Tyranny.
The 1989 UP-DND Accord recognizes the institutional autonomy of UP but has repeatedly been breached when military personnel entered UPD last January 2021 and UPMin during the commemoration mobilization of the 43rd anniversary of the Martial Law declaration.
The following resolution was to conduct an on-ground 52nd GASC, which will be held before the start of the second semester of AY 2021–2022, as general assemblies have been faced with challenges due to restrictions of the online setup. With different UP units having their own initiatives in vaccination programs, the Office of the Student Regent (OSR) will ensure compliance with all health protocols while also providing a platform for those who choose to attend it online.
The final resolution asserted the genuine and safe re-opening of UP campuses as the efforts to strengthen vaccination programs in the UP system and to create a student-crafted LBE roadmap that challenges the UP administration for a safe and conducive learning environment for face-to-face classes.
The GASC remains firm in their call for #DuterteWakasanNa as their anti-student and anti-people pandemic response has led to UP students suffering under inhumane learning conditions, campaigning for a pro-student agenda and its stand against the Marcos-Arroyo-Duterte-Estrada Electoral Alliance.
