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!
UP OFR calls for impartial investigation on Cebu abduction
Faculty Regent Carl Marc Ramota joins the call of the UP community and human rights advocates for an impartial investigation and accountability on the abduction of UP Cebu (UPC) lecturer Armand Jake Dayoha, and alumna, April Dyan Gumanao on January 10, 2023 at the Cebu City port area. Dayoha and Gumanao have been located six days after with the help of the UP Cebu administration.
OSR Statement Continued Red-tagging and Attacks to the University
We, the UP Sectoral Regents, stand that red-tagging is a blatant attack on the sectors we represent and the whole UP community. Red-tagging has become an ever-present issue for many of our progressive activists and leaders that it poses to invalidate incidents in the future.
Statement of the UPD University Council on the Upcoming National Elections
As the country prepares for the 2022 national elections, the University Council of the University of the Philippines Diliman calls on Filipino voters to not only exercise their right to vote, but also critically evaluate their choices for the top positions in government.