Statement of the Offices of the UP Sectoral Regents on the Co-Terminus with the Incumbent (CTI) Status of PGH Positions
We express our grave concern regarding the reclassification of hundreds of plantilla positions at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) into “Co-Terminus with the Incumbent” (CTI) status.This action, which was acted upon unilaterally by the PGH administration, poses a direct threat to the job security, professional growth, and morale of our essential hospital personnel. Among the most affected are utility workers, ward assistants, nursing aides, and other support staff indispensable to hospital operations. They are those in Salary Grades 1 to 4 who are the most vulnerable among our workforce.In a dialogue with the All UP Workers Union – Manila Chapter, PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi confirmed that the DBM had ordered 1,940 positions to be tagged as CTI. Without prior consultation, dialogue, or even notification with affected staff or the Union, the PGH administration submitted a counterproposal offering more than 400 positions for CTI conversion. This blatant disregard for due process directly violates the Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) between the University and the AUPWU.Under this plan, CTI status threatens our personnel’s job security, because once vacated, these positions will be abolished. PGH’s workforce will be reduced over time, jeopardizing not only current employees’ tenure and career progressions but also compromising hospital operations especially as PGH is expected to expand its services under Republic Act No. 12210.We assert that any significant change to PGH’s staffing structure must be immediately suspended and subjected to a thorough and transparent review. This is an issue that deserves attention within and beyond the UP Community, as PGH serves not only as a vital training ground for health professionals, but also as the country’s foremost public hospital, serving some of the most marginalized members of society. Thus, these decisions must, at the minimum, be discussed by the Board of Regents.We therefore call on the PGH administration to disclose all communications and documents related to the CTI directive and the submitted counterproposal. We urge them to respect the CNA and engage in genuine consultation with the AUPWU and other affected sectors. Disregarding the welfare of our workforce essentially undermines our mission of public service.We, your Staff Regent, Student Regent, and Faculty Regent, stand firmly in solidarity with PGH workers and all members of the University community in defending labor rights, democratic governance, and integrity in public service. Francesca Mariae M. Duran Student Regent Early Sol A. Gadong Faculty Regent Marie Theresa S. Alambra Staff Regent
Mensahe sa UP Manila School of Health Sciences – 1st SHS-Wide Recognition Rites
Maayong hapon sa inyo tanan. Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat. Una kong nalaman ang tungkol sa UP Manila School of Health Sciences noong bahagi ako ng Academic Union at bago pa maging Faculty Regent. Sa tuwing pumupunta kami sa UP Tacloban ay sinisikap naming makapunta rin sa SHS Palo para makausap ang ating faculty at staff doon. Noong naging faculty regent na ako ay napuntahan ko rin sa wakas ang Baler, Koronadal, at Tarlac campuses. Sa ilang beses kong pagpunta ay dalawa ang laging tema ng aking mga nakikita’t naririnig: Sa isang banda, kailangang kailangan ng SHS ng suporta sa imprastruktura at pasilidad, gayundin ng dagdag na items at panahon para sa advanced studies at research ng ating mga kaguruan at kawani — matingkad pa sa aking alaala ang napakalaking butas sa bubong ng faculty room sa Palo, kung saan sobrang init kapag summer dahil hindi ito malagyan ng aircon, samantalang kailangan namang magpayong sa loob ng building tuwing tag-ulan. Halos ganito din ang sitwasyon sa Koronadal, kung saan naman kailangan pang magbenta ng mga guro ng kalamansi at kung ano pang bungang kahoy para may pambayad sa LBC at sa Baler, kung saan matagal ding natengga ang paggamit ng ilang kwarto at buildings na nasira ng bagyo. Higit na maayos ang imprastruktura sa Tarlac, pero kagaya ng mga guro sa ibang SHS campus ay kulang na kulang din sila ng pagkakataong mag-aral, mag-research, at mag-publish dahil sa kakulangan ng plantilla items at iba pang suporta. Ngunit sa kabilang banda, kahit laging may kirot sa aking puso ang pagbisita sa ating SHS campuses, lagi rin akong may baong tuwa pag-alis. Naikot ko na po ang lahat ng mga campuses ng UP sa buong bansa — mula Baguo, Cebu, at Mindanao — pero sa SHS campuses lang po may mga estudyanteng marunong bumati ng good morning o good afternoon. Sa SHS campuses din laging binibida ng mga guro ang accomplishments ng kanilang mga estudyanteng nagtop sa board exam, nagbalik upang magturo sa SHS, o marubdob na nagsisilbi sa kani-kanilang mga bayan. Lahat nang ito ay nakakamtan ng UP MANILA SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES kahit na limitado ang suporta sa kanila. Isipin niyo na lang kung ano pa ang maaabot ng modelong ito kung higit pa silang nabibigyan pansin at resources. Sinasabi ng iilan na nagbabago na ang mukha ng mga Iskolar ng Bayan — may twang na kapag nagsasalita, parking space na ang pino-problema, at mas pinipili na ang single origin handcrafted coffee imbes na mag-make tusok tusok ng kwek kwek at fish balls. Hayahay na rin daw ang mga estudyante ngayon, lalo pa’t may AI na, kaya higit nang marami ang mga may latin honors. Kung may marinig o mabasa man kayong nagsasabi nito, sana ay maimbitahan natin silang bumisita sa kahit aling SHS campus, para makita nila ang mga isko at iska na matatas sa paggamit ng sariling wika, kinakapos ng pambayad sa traysikel, at nabubuhay sa isang pakete ng noodles sa buong araw. Ipaalam natin natin sa kanila ang SHS campuses kung saan kahit walang numerical grades ay masigasig na nag-aaral ang mga estudyante at nangunguna sa mga licensure exams. Ipakilala natin sa kanila ang bawat mag-aaral sa SHS campuses na kailanma’y hindi mapapantayan ng artipisyal na kaalaman ang kaugaliang likas na mapagkalinga at mapagmalasakit. Sa Class of 2025, hihiramin ko lang ang sinabi ng isa sa mga guro niyo. Nagsimula kayo sa pandemya at ngayo’y magtatapos sa delubyo. Hindi naging madali ang bawat hakbang, ngunit kahapon ay nagsipagtapos kayo sa pambansang pamantasan. Ang bawat isa sa inyo ang matingkad na halimbawa ng paggamit ng galing nang may dangal sa paglilingkod bayan. Hangad kong may Return Service Agreement man o wala, lagi’t lagi sana kayong itutulak ng inyong puso na patuloy na magsilbi sa komunidad na higit na nangangailangan sa inyong husay at malasakit. Panginbulahan, Class of 2025! Padayon at magandang hapon pong muli sa inyong lahat! EARLY SOL A. GADONG 28th UP Faculty Regent 23 Hulyo 2025 Cine Adarna, UP Diliman
Pahayag ng UP Office of the Sectoral Regents sa ika-4 na State of the Nation Address ni Pangulong Marcos Jr.
Tiyak, larawan ng “pag-unlad” ang muling ipipinta ni Pang. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa kanyang pang-apat State of the Nation Address (SONA). Pero batid natin ang katotohanan: lalong nalulugmok sa matinding krisis sa ekonomiya, edukasyon, kalikasan, at karapatang pantao ang mga mamamayan. Maaaring ipagmamalaki niya ang diumano’y tagumpay sa negosasyon kay US Pres. Donald Trump: kkapiranggot na isang percentage point na pagbaba ng taripa kapalit ang mas maluwag na pagpasok ng mga produktong US sa bansa. Habang pinalalakas ang dayuhang kontrol sa ating ekonomiya, patuloy naman ang pagdurusa ng mga Pilipino sa pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin at nananatiling di sapat ang kakarampot na dagdag-sahod, lalo pa’t laganap ang job insecurity. Sa halip na tugunan ang mga ugat ng kahirapan at kawalang-katarungan, patuloy ding binabawasan ang pondo para sa edukasyon at mga serbisyong panlipunan. At dahil hindi nito matugunan ang pangangailangan ng sambayanan, pinatitindi lang ni Marcos Jr. ang panunupil sa mga kritikal na tinig. Sa mga akademikong espasyo tulad ng UP, tumitindi ang mga atake sa akademikong kalayaan, pumapasok ang mga militar at pinagbabantaan ang mga guro, estudyante, at mananaliksik na lumalaban para sa kanilang mga karapatan. Samantala, sa kabila ng mga postura ng pagpapanagot sa nakaraang tiwaling administrasyong Duterte, lumalabas na wala itong masyadong interes o tulak na makamit ng bayan ang hustisya. Habang positibo ang pagkakasakdal kay dating Pang. Rodrigo Duterte sa International Criminal Court, binigo naman tayo ng Korte Suprema sa pagbabasura ng impeachment kay VP Sara Duterte. Sa desisyon nito, ipinagkait ng kataas-taasang korte ang pagkakataong mapanagot ang mga Duterte sa mga alegasyong paglustay sa pondo ng bayan. Ipinakikita nito ang kawalan ng hustisya sa bansa. Binibigo din tayo ng administrasyong Marcos Jr. sa pagharap sa krisis sa klima. Malinaw ito sa lantad na kawalan ng paghahanda ng gobyerno sa harap ng inaasahan nang matinding pagbaha sa Kamaynilaan na nagdulot ng pagkawala ng kabuhayan, bahay, at buhay ng maraming Pilipino. Sa harap ng lahat ng ito, nananawagan tayo sa komunidad ng UP at mga mamamayang Pilipino na tumindig para ihayag ang tunay na SONA, at igiit ang ating mga karapatan at kinabukasan sa harap ng kainutilan ng kasalukuyang mga nasa kapangyarihan. Partikular sa akademikong sektor, nananawagan tayong doblehin ang badyet ng edukasyon. Kailangang itaas na ang sahod ng mga guro’t kawani, kabilang ang pagtakda ng PhP36,000 na sahod para sa Salary Grade 1. Hiling din nating itaas ang Instructor 1 sa Salary Grade 16, at bigyan ang Teacher 1 ng minimum na PhP50,000 buwanang sahod. Hindi rin natin binibitiwan ang panawagan para sa de-kalidad at higit na aksesibleng mga pasilidad at serbisyo, gayundin ang pagpapabilis ng pag-apruba ng plantilla items at pagtigil ng kontraktwalisasyon sa ating mga kawani’t kaguruan. Ipaglalaban natin iyan dahil iyan ang nararapat at makatarungan. Presyo ibaba! Sahod itaas! Itigil ang red-tagging at paglabag ng karapatan at akademikong kalayaan! Marcos singilin! Duterte panagutin! Francesca Mariae M. Duran Student Regent Early Sol A. Gadong Faculty Regent Marie Theresa S. Alambra Staff Regent 28 Hulyo 2025
Nagkakaisang panawagan ng UP Sectoral Regents sa Araw ng Kasarinlan sa Pilipinas
Ngayong ginugunita natin ang ika-126 anibersaryo ng Araw ng Kalayaan, inaalala natin hindi lang ang kasaysayan ng paglaban sa dayuhang pananakop, kundi pati ang nagpapatuloy na tungkulin ng bawat mamamayan at institusyon na ipaglaban ang mabuting pamamahala at pananagutan sa ating gobyerno. Bilang mga kinatawan ng iba’t ibang sektor sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (UP), at bilang mga mamamayang naninindigan para sa isang tapat at makatarungang pamahalaan, mariin naming ipinapanawagan sa Senado ng Pilipinas na gampanan ang konstitusyonal nitong tungkulin bilang Impeachment Court kaugnay ng reklamong impeachment laban kay Pangalawang Pangulong Sara Duterte.  Imoral, labag sa Saligang Batas, at di katanggap-tanggap ang naging hakbang ng Senado na ibalik sa Kamara ang reklamong impeachment. Obligasyon ng Senado na tipunin ang sarili bilang Impeachment Court at simulan ang paglilitis sa kaso, isang obligasyong nakaugat sa sistemang demokratiko at hindi maaaring talikuran.  Hindi sapat ang pananahimik sa harap ng seryosong mga paratang ng katiwalian at maling paggamit ng pondo ng bayan, lalo na ng confidential funds ng Office of the Vice President at Department of Education. Ang ganitong klase ng pondo, na hindi dumaraan sa sapat na pagsusuri o oversight, ay matagal nang bulnerable sa abuso. Sa kaso ni Vice President Duterte, malinaw na may sapat na batayan para ituloy ang impeachment proceedings.  Ang proseso ng impeachment ay isang mahalagang mekanismo ng checks and balances na itinatadhana ng Saligang Batas. Banta sa sistemang demokratiko ang anumang pagtatangkang iwasan, atrasan, o antalahin ang tungkuling ito ng Senado.  Sa diwa ng Araw ng Kalayaan, hinihimok namin ang taumbayan na maging mapagbantay. Ang bawat sentimo ng kaban ng bayan ay nararapat lang na gamitin para sa kapakinabangan ng nakararami, hindi para sa kapangyarihan at kapritso ng iilan. Huwag nating hayaang makaiwas sa pananagutan ang mga lider na lumalabag sa tiwala ng taumbayan. Panagutin ang dapat panagutin! Ituloy ang impeachment proceedings!   Francesca Mariae M. Duran UP Office of the Student Regent Early Sol A. Gadong Opisina ng Faculty Regent Marie Theresa G.S. AlambraOffice of the Staff Regent
Faculty Regent Gadong: Gender-responsive urban mobility must be inclusive, care-centered
Nagsilbing tagapagsalita si Faculty Regent Early Sol A. Gadong sa nakalipas na Cycling Cities Conference na ginanap sa Lungsod ng Iloilo, noong ika-2 ng Hunyo 2025. Ang conference ay bahagi ng padiriwang ng Iloilo Bike Festival at dinaluhan ng iba’t ibang kasapi ng akademya, private sector, at ahensya ng gobyerno. Sa panayam na naglalayong pahalagahan ang gender inclusivity in urban mobility, binigyang diin ni FR Gadong na hindi lamang behavioral issues ang dapat tutukan upang malutas ang lumalalang problema ng urban mobility. Ayon sa kanyang pananaliksik ay karamihan sa mga kalsada ng Pilipinas ay dinisenyo para sa “solo, able-bodied, male commuter.” Dahil dito, naisasantabi ang mga pangangailangan ng mga kababaihan, matatanda, queer people, iyong may mga mobility issues, at ang mga bumibyahe na may kasamang bata o mabibigat na dala. Iminungkahi ni FR Gadong na dapat mas maging inclusive at participatory ang pagpaplano, mas maging konektado, mailaw, at malawak ang mga sidewalk at bike lanes, at lalo pang palawakin at palalimin ang pagtuturo tungkol sa road hierarchy na nagsasabing, “Those who have more power on the road have more responsibilities.” Ibig sabihin ay mas dapat nabibigyang prayoridad sa kalsada ang mga pedestrian, bike user, at iba pang bulnerableng sektor. Bago pa man naging UP Faculty Regent ay aktibo si FR Gadong sa mga usapin ng active mobility at road safety. Naging editor siya ng Ilongga Bicycle Diaries, antolohiya ng mga sanaysay ng 19 babaeng siklista sa Iloilo. Isa rin siya sa mga masugid na tagapagtaguyod ng mga women’s bike rides sa lungsod. Kabilang sa mga tagapagsalita ang mga kinatawan ng Move as One Coalition, PhilCycling, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev), LGU ng Quezon City, Pasig City at Iloilo City, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), at GOBility Netherlands. Ang Iloilo Bike Festival ay sponsored ng Iloilo City Government at magtatagal hanggang ika-15 ng Hunyo 2025. : Iloilo City Government #KaayohanParaSaTanan
Mula sa Mensahe ni Faculty Regent Gadong sa 2025 UP Manila Faculty Conference
Kaya naman ligtas ang pakiramdam ko kung nasa loob ako ng UP Manila. I feel the safest, hindi lang dahil literal na kanlungan ang campus mula sa ingay, usok, at fun run pace sa mga kalye ng Taft, Pedro Gil, at Padre Faura, kundi dahil UP Manila is also at the forefront of accessible leadership and democratic governance, with faculty councils who always lead the nation in releasing timely statements with the sharpest critiques of the current issues. A very recent example is the decision of your University Council to refer the UP Core Curriculum to the departments for further discussion. Malamang ay napag-usapan na rin ninyo kung paanong ang isa sa mahahalagang feature ng UP Core Curriculum ay ang pagbabawas ng kukuning GE courses ng ating mga estudyante. It is crucial to be critical about this because for the past few years, we have been revising our curricular offerings under the assumption that many of our courses will be redundant of what are being offered in the Senior High School program. Ang hindi po napag-uusapan ay sa darating na June, magsisimula na po ang pasukan sa mga eskwelahan ng DepEd. At ngayong pasukan na rin ipa-pilot ng DepEd ang pagbabawas din ng core courses sa Senior High. Ang original 15 core courses ay gagawin na lamang lima, at ang iba dito ay gagawin na lamang elective. Kagaya ng mga taong nagmo-malling sa Robinsons, tila nagmamadali din ang ating educational system para mauna, para maungusan ang lahat, para maging pinakamabilis. Hindi naman po ito problema talaga, kung hindi natin iisipin na sa ating pagmamadali ay may kailangan tayong sitsitan, banggain, o itulak. Hindi rin problema ang pagmamadali, kung hindi tayo matitisod o masubsob at masaktan. … Sa mundong kung saan lahat ay nagmamadaling makapunta sa kanilang paroroonan, dapat ay huwag din nating kaligtaan na gaya ng sinasabi ng awitin sa simbahan, tayong lahat ay may pananagutan sa isa’t isa. Let us be faculty members who recognize the vital role not just of fellow faculty members, but also of our REPS and admin staff, many of them are contractual, overworked, and underpaid. They continue serve so that we may also be able to serve. Let us be faculty members who recognize just how much we influence the lives of our students, who do not only remember what we taught them, but also how we taught them to learn. … Sana kagaya ko ay maramdaman din ng buong bansa ang pagkalingang ramdam na ramdam ko sa UP Manila. And as your representative at the highest policy making body of the university, you can rest assured na sa tulong ng inyong suporta, I will do my best to ensure na mabibigyan kayo ng karampatang pagkalinga ng pamantasang saksi sa inyong husay at dangal sa ngalan ng paglilingkod sa bayan.” #KaayohanParaSaTanan
Pahayag ng mga Opisina ng Sectoral Regents Hinggil sa Pag-aresto kay Dating Pangulong Duterte
Inaresto si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte alas-9:20 ng umaga ng Marso 11, 2025, pagdating niya sa Maynila galing sa Hong Kong. Pormal nang isinampa ng Philippine Prosecutor General ang arrest warrant mula sa International Criminal Court (ICC) para sa mga kasong krimen laban sa sangkatauhan (crimes against humanity), na natanggap ng INTERPOL Manila kaninang umaga. Sa ngayon, nasa kustodiya siya ng PNP at iniulat na nasa maayos na kalusugan. Ang kaso laban kay Duterte ay batay sa kanyang pananagutan sa madugong giyera kontra droga mula 2016 hanggang 2022. Humantong ito sa libu-libong ekstrahudisyal na pamamaslang, at direktang resulta ng kanyang tuwirang utos at kabiguang panagutin ang mga salarin sa pamamaslang. Sa panahong ito ay mas lalo ding tumindi ang panunupil at brutalidad ng Estado, lalo na laban sa progresibong oposisyon. Sagad-sagaran din ang mga naging pag-atake sa kalayaang akademiko, at tinarget ang mga guro, propesor, estudyante at kawani na nagsalita laban sa mga katiwalian at abuso ng Estado. Sa ilalim ng Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, naging legal ang pag-aresto nang walang mandamyento, pinalawig ang detensiyon, at pinatindi ang red-tagging sa mga aktibista, mamamahayag, at iba pang tumututol sa kanyang rehimen. Mahalagang hakbang ang pag-arestong ito kay Duterte para mabigyan ng hustisya ang libu-libong napaslang sa kanyang termino bilang pangulo at kung mapatunayan sa ICC na nagkasala siya’y dapat maparuhasan para hindi na matularan. Pero mahaba pa ang laban. Nananatili pa rin ang mga institusyong naging kasabwat sa kanyang mga krimen. Kakailanganin ang patuloy na pagmamatyag ng mga Pilipino, ang walang pagod na paglaban ng mga biktima at tagapagtanggol ng karapatan, at ang suporta ng pandaigdigang komunidad para matiyak ang hustisya para sa mga biktima at sa mga mamamayang Pilipino. #JusticeForEJKVictims #DefendAcadFreedom #StopTheKillings #EndImpunity Hon. Francesca Mariae M. Duran UP Student Regent Hon. Early Sol Gadong UP Faculty Regent Hon. Marie Theresa G.S. Alambra UP Staff Regent
Statement of the UP Office of the Faculty Regent on International Working Women’s Day
As we celebrate International Working Women’s Day, the UP Office of the Faculty Regent stands in solidarity with all working women, both within and beyond the University of the Philippines (UP) community. We recognize the truly immense contributions of women to our society and we acknowledge the persistent challenges that they face, as systemic issues of corruption and deepening inequality continue to exacerbate these concerns.Today, we highlight how corruption under the Marcos Jr. administration disproportionately affects ordinary citizens, and especially working women. When public funds are misused, women are the ones who bear the brunt of its consequences, because the diversion of public resources away from essential services such as education, health care, and social protection deprives women of the support they need to sustain their families and secure livelihood. Furthermore, the misuse of taxpayers’ money, from Vice President Sara Duterte’s questionable use of confidential funds to anomalous procurement deals to institutionalized patronage, robs working women of economic opportunities and access to quality public services.As we demand transparency and accountability in government, we must also turn our gaze inward to the struggles within our own university community. The University of the Philippines is not exempt from policies that threaten its mandate as the national university. There are the proposed revisions to the core curriculum that undermine the critical and holistic education as well as the creeping commercialization of university spaces that further marginalizes students and employees by prioritizing profit over accessibility and inclusivity. And, of course, the are the threats to academic freedom, including intensified red-tagging and political repression within our campuses that stifle intellectual dissent and diminish the democratic character of our university.Within UP, women employees including faculty members, research staff, administrative personnel, and rank-and-file workers have long called for institutional reforms that uphold their welfare and well-being. Low and delayed wages, inadequate benefits, and the persistent problem of contractualization within the university workforce exacerbate gender disparities. Meanwhile, the lack of support for mental health services and institutional responses to workplace harassment continue to burden women in academia and university service. Personnel and students from the LGBTQIA+ community face similar struggles, as they still need to go the distance to have their basic rights respected.It is only right that we commemorate the struggles of working women, honor their strength, their labor, and their unwavering resolve to fight for a better future. We also reaffirm our commitment to the fight for a just and equitable society, and we stand with women across sectors in demanding an end to corruption and the misallocation of public funds. We call for a UP that truly serves its people—one that defends academic freedom, resists commercialization, and upholds the rights and welfare of its employees.End the plunder of public resources! Uphold academic freedom! Protect the rights and welfare of women workers! Hon. Early Sol A. Gadong Faculty Regent, UP System
OFR Statement on the 39th Anniversary of 1986 EDSA People Power Uprising
The Office of the Faculty Regent (OFR) of the University of the Philippines (UP) System joins the UP community and the entire country in commemorating the 39th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising. On this day, we remember that moment in history when the Filipino people stood up and bravely faced and defeated the tyranny of the Marcos Sr. dictatorship.We take part in the commemoration in part to honor the immense sacrifices made by members of our UP community and countless Filipinos who participated in the active resistance against the dictatorship for two decades. Many of them paid the ultimate price with their lives. Their legacy of selfless sacrifice and nationalism moves us to carry on with our struggle for justice and peace, and commitment to public service.We wish to acknowledge the decision of UP President Angelo A. Jimenez to declare February 25 as Alternative Learning Day in recognition of the historic 1986 People Power uprising. This declaration allows us to fulfill our collective duty to #NeverForget the inequities of the dictatorship and tyrannical rule, while providing us a crucial space for critical reflection and learning.We also understand why some members of our faculty body have expressed that UP should have taken a more progressive stand—similar to other universities that suspended work and classes—and that it could have been declared more promptly. We now move forward and take appropriate action to uphold the true spirit of the 1986 uprising. We must stand united against any attempt to revise history, normalize impunity, or erode public accountability.Our faculty members are crucial in shaping the minds of the youth who in turn will shape the future of the nation. We enjoin them to exercise their right to assemble, speak out, and express collective indignation against corruption, historical distortion, and the ongoing neglect of social services including education. We urge members of our community to participate in the multiple protest actions happening across the country today and resist efforts to silence or diminish the lessons of our past.Today is an opportunity for both commemoration and engagement. Let us make sure that progressive learning and critical thinking extend beyond our classrooms. By doing this, we honor the sacrifices of those who fought for freedom and reaffirm our commitment to a society that upholds good governance, justice, and accountability.Mabuhay ang diwa ng EDSA!#ResistTyranny#DefendAcademicFreedomHon. Early Sol A. GadongFaculty Regent, UP System
MANINDUGAN! | A Call to Action for the UP Community to Stand Against Poverty, Corruption, and Impunity
The Office of the Sectoral Regents stands in solidarity with various sectors and communities in today’s national people’s protest against poverty, corruption, and impunity (January 31, 2025). We raise our voices as one alongside the growing movement demanding accountability from the Marcos Jr. administration, which has callously funneled billions in confidential funds into the pockets of the ruling elite while millions of Filipinos suffer from skyrocketing prices of basic commodities. Nagkakaisa din ang inyong Student Regent, Staff Regent, at Faculty Regent sa panawagang patalsikin si Vice President Sara Duterte dahil sa walang pakundangang pag-aabuso sa paggasta ng pondo ng bayan sa Office of the Vice President at sa Department of Education. We likewise demand the prosecution of former President Rodrigo Duterte for his brutal and bloody war on drugs and and for his relentless attacks against the political opposition. We condemn how President Marcos Jr. has drastically cut funding for essential sectors, thereby crippling institutions that provide social services. The Department of Health lost ₱26 billion, while PhilHealth suffered a ₱74 billion reduction. The Department of Education faced a ₱12 billion budget cut, while the Commission on Higher Education had its funding slashed by ₱27 billion. The Department of Agriculture, which should be strengthening local food production, saw a ₱20 billion cut. Even the University of the Philippines, the country’s national university, suffered a ₱2.08 billion reduction—the largest in nine years. In the face of the underfunding of these vital services, Marcos Jr.’s allies in Congress have inserted millions in discretionary allocations into a budget riddled with at least 14 blank pages, as exposed by Makabayan and other opposition legislators. Exacerbating these matters is the billions of pesos in confidential funds amassed by the Office of the President that can be vulnerable to abuse, especially with the 2025 midterm elections looming. Despite the publicly projected political power struggles between the Marcos and Duterte camps, Marcos Jr. has refused to support impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte. He has openly dismissed the overwhelming evidence exposing Duterte’s misuse of public funds for dubious expenditures and justice remains elusive for the victims of the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs and its vicious persecution of political opponents from 2016 to 2022. Rather than reversing these repressive policies, the Marcos Jr. administration has doubled down on political persecution, launching punitive attacks on democratic rights, academic freedom, and human rights defenders, all while shielding the police, military, and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) from accountability. In the midst of these blatant abuse of power, we call on the entire University of the Philippines community to rise and resist the worsening state of poverty, corruption, and impunity in the country. Let us stand together and demand genuine accountability, justice, and democratic rights for all. MARCOS SINGILIN! DUTERTE PANAGUTIN!