UPM students clamor for an inclusive, pro-student chancellor

by Jose Vicente Miguel Dave, Gerra Mae Reyes

As part of the search for the next Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM), students call for a collaborative leadership style wherein the grievances of the students are addressed without fear of repercussions.

Students aired their opinion during the UPM Chancellor Student Consultations, which were held on-site and online last August 17 and 18, respectively, headed by the Search Committee for the next Chancellor of UPM.

The student consultations were designed as a question-and-answer forum where the committee poses questions that are focused on scrutinizing the concerns on the persisting challenges in the university and the students’ vision for an ideal UPM Chancellor.

“Inclusive, Consultative, and Transparent”

The studentry calls for the next chancellor to be inclusive, consultative, and transparent in their future policies. Inclusivity has been one of the main issues raised by students, especially with their rights in regard to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE).

Earlier this month, an issue was raised by the UPM University Student Council (USC) regarding the need for a parent’s consent form on the usage of lived names by UPM graduates. The council questioned the need for the parent’s approval, especially since lived names will only be displayed on a PowerPoint presentation during the ceremony and not on the diploma itself. The council was unsatisfied with the response of the administration.

Given this issue, the students emphasized the importance of sectoral consultations among different student bodies and institutions. To address pertinent issues plaguing the university, students called for more university-wide consultations in order to widen the limitations imposed by traditional town hall meetings. As said during the consultations, all students must be invited for dialogues, and dialogues must not be limited to representatives of student councils.

Unfinished Projects and Promises

Since the Rizal Hall renovation, University Library construction, and other projects on campus are getting more and more delayed, the question of “when” was raised by the students.

According to a letter by Dean Maria Constancia Carillo to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the college has been severely constrained by the unfinished renovation of the said building. The students also raised concerns on the lack of green spaces that ultimately hamper the development of student culture and participation inside the university.

Based on the timeline of these projects, a generation of students have entered and already graduated from the university, yet the promised projects have yet to be finished with little to no progress.

Realities Faced by the Student Body

Despite the minuscule student representation on the second day of sectoral consultation, students were still able to give a comprehensive reality check on the current challenges faced by the student body.

On top of these is the long-standing call of the USC for safe student spaces inside the university. Representatives from the UP Dentistry Student Council (UP DSC) voiced their concern on limited facilities for dental chairs, which lead to clogged clinics and clinicians being unable to execute clinical practice efficiently.

As much as the larger units of the university suffer from this enduring issue of lack of student spaces, the UPM School of Health Sciences (UPM-SHS) are no longer foreign to this kind of problem. SHS-Tarlac specifically expressed their grievances on being incapacitated to cater to the needs of their Midwifery program due to insufficient medical materials and learning facilities. In line with this, respective building facilities for the Nursing program, which is expected to open next year, are yet to be allocated.

However, students stressed that it is not only physical space that they demand but a safe place inside the campus that is free from military and police intrusion. Campus militarization has been damaging students’ academic freedom and safety to organize on campus. Hence, they demand the re-institutionalization of the UP-DND accord and seek transparency on the recent agreement between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the university. Students argue that the Memorandum of Agreement was not openly communicated with the student body before it was signed by the now-incumbent UPM Chancellor Carmencita Padilla.

A student from the College of Public Health (CPH) also brought up the recent surveillance and intimidation of military forces to UPM Development Studies students during their practicum in Quezon. He said that it is a manifestation of the worsening militarization even beyond the campus; hence, the next UPM Chancellor should prioritize ensuring the safety of its students in conducting community work. All these material conditions back up the unified call of students against the legalization of the Mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (MROTC).

Another round of student consultation will be held on Aug. 23, over a month before the Board of Regents (BOR) selects the next UPM Chancellor on Sept. 28.