𝗖𝗵𝗮-𝗖𝗵𝗮, 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗲𝘀

Faculty members of the University of the Philippines (UP) continue to voice out opposition to Charter Change (Cha-Cha), particularly the proposed 100 percent foreign ownership in education.

In his message during the Cha-Cha forum on March 18 organized by the UP Diliman University Council, Faculty Regent Carl Marc Ramota questioned the need to amend the Constitution to push for internationalization and the entry of Ivy League schools in the country.

“Philippine universities have long engaged in international linkages with higher education institutions even without Cha-Cha and foreign ownership,” Faculty Regent Ramota pointed out.

“Are these the kind of reforms that the education sector needs at the moment? Do we really need to change the constitution and allow foreign ownership to improve the quality of education?” he asked.

Regent Ramota urged lawmakers and the Marcos Jr. administration to check its priorities, and revisit the first year report of the Education Commission 2 (EdCom 2) which highlights the nutrition and stunting, the ancillary tasks of teachers due to lack of administrative and academic support personnel, and failures of past education reforms, among others.

Faculty Regent Ramota added that the EdCom 2’s findings in basic education are also true in UP and other higher education institutions.

“Faculty and staff are overloaded with academic and adminsitrative work, with job order and contract of service personnel even outnumbering regular employees in a number of UP campuses and units. These are some of the main issues that our lawmakers and university administrators must address, and Charter Change definitely is not the solution to these woes,” Regent Ramota said.

“Instead of pushing for foreign ownership in higher education, our lawmarkers should give more support to our state universities and colleges,” he added.

In February, Faculty Regent Ramota together with the UP Staff and Student Regents released a joint statement opposing Cha-Cha. This was followed by the relaunch of the multisectoral, systemwide coalition, UP Against Charter Change. Various UP academic units and organizations have also released statements against Cha-Cha since 2023.

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