I’m lifting this from Bloggers’ Kapihan. It’s about the launching of Jun Lozada’s and Gov. Ed Panlilio’s blogs in the coming weekends:

Malugod kayong inaanyayahan ng Bloggers’ Kapihan sa magkasunod na blog launches sa dalawang susunod na Sabado. Sasamahan ng BK Crew sa paglulunsad ng kanilang blog sina Jun Lozada – ang pangunahing saksi sa pagdinig ng Senado sa ZTE deal — at si Among Ed Panlilio — ang gobernador ng Pampanga na iniluklok ng “people power” noong nakaraang halalan.

Samahan ninyo kami sa Sabado, May 31, 2008, 1pm sa Kape Tasyo sa Anonas, Quezon City sa blog launch ni Jun Lozada.

Sa Hunyo 7 naman, 30 bloggers ang dadalhin ng Bloggers’ Kapihan sa Among Ed blog launch. May libreng sakay, pagkain at pamamasyal sa Pampanga para sa mga sasama.

Tags: Bloggers' Kapihan, blogging, Ed Panlilio, Jun Lozada, Philippine politics

May 14, 2008. I forgot to write about this one. Better late than never. A few weeks ago, the University Student Council (USC) held a candlelight memorial to commemorate all victims of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The activity was spearheaded by the USC’s Gender Committee.

(more…)

Tags: AIDS, candlelight, Gender Committee, Sunken Garden, University Student Council

May 18, 2008. The University Student Council (USC) a few Sundays ago held a community fair, entitled LAKBAY, at Pook Libis within Barangay UP Campus here in Quezon City. The day-long activity was spearheaded by the Community Rights & Welfare Committee and the Education & Research Committee.

It was basically an event that aimed to unite the members of the UP community in a day of sharing and empowerment, through various workshops, services, and other such similar activities.

(more…)

Tags: community fair, depressed community, University Student Council

The banner headline of the Philippine Daily Inquirer today caught me off-guard. “GMA: No to Tuition Hike.” What a spin that was!

It was simply that, a press gimmick. What makes her statement entirely preposterous is that in the first place, it is her administration’s long standing policy to direct state colleges and universities (SUC’s) to tighten their belts and increase fees and other self-generating income procedures (Long Term Higher Education Development Plan 2010). It was also her administration’s directive policy to lift the tuition increase cap on private educational institutions, hence opening the floodgates of incessant increases in tuition across the country. It’s because of her why tuition and other fees have been increasing rampantly the past years.

And what purpose will this statement serve? It doesn’t make sense. Private and state universities have already increased tuition months and years ago. Various fee increases in state colleges and universities have already been implemented under her administration. Students have already been forced to pay their fees. Unless the President’s directive is retroactive, which it is apparently not, it’s an empty gimmick. Unless she orders for a tuition rollback, the directive is useless.

(more…)

Tags: education, Gloria Arroyo, media, political dissent, propaganda, tuition increase, youth sector

May 20, 2008. I flew to Cebu last Tuesday night for a KASAMA sa UP (Katipunan ng mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP) meeting in UP Cebu. The meeting wasn’t until Thursday, but I flew in a few days ahead to able to catch up on however little rest and recreation I could squeeze in my free time. I had wanted to go about it by myself, book a hotel room for two nights and do anything I desired in Cebu City.

I told my mom that I could take care of myself, but she insisted that I stayed with a family friend of ours, whose family is actually one of the old-rich political families in Cebu. Yes, even the highway in Mandaue that we traversed from the airport to Cebu City was named after my host’s father. The long bridge we crossed form Mactan to Mandaue was named after my host’s cousin. They’re not active in politics now, though. This is the same family of my mother’s close college friend, whose father’s death and death anniversary were the reasons why we were in Cebu City a couple of times in the past two years.

(more…)

Tags: airport, Cebu, Cebu City, flight, KASAMA sa UP

May 12, 2008. Last May 12, the University Student Council (USC), through some of its members, in solidarity with the transport sector, participated in the nationwide transport strike. We released an article-statement and helped organize the picket at Philcoa. We even helped prepare lunch, which was simply monggo and rice, for everyone at the picket while we were in Pook Dagohoy.

I didn’t quite stay long enough at Philcoa. After taking the lunch from Pook Dagohoy to the people at the picket, I just stayed for less than an hour taking a few photos and talking with some of my counterparts in the USC and STAND-UP.

(more…)

Tags: jeepneys, oil deregulation, Philcoa, picket, transport strike

A few days ago, I passed by the UP College of Law to submit my transcript of records and my certificate of graduation as part of my enrollment process. Before I left the college secretary’s office, I was handed a contract of sorts which I apparently had to sign. It was a contract that requires me to take 12 additional undergraduate units in English and Social Sciences within the year, else I won’t be able to continue as a law student.

(more…)

Tags: academics, UP Law

Two weeks ago, I was in UP almost every day manning the University Student Council booth at the University Registrar building and distributing party statements to freshmen and their parents in my free time. One thing that I found really apparent was that the overwhelmingly common query among incoming freshmen and their parents was with regards to the socialized tuition scheme of the university. Parents kept asking how they could avail of lower tuition rates, and how they all lamented the exorbitant tuition they have to pay for their children.

Some parents even went on to give unsolicited narrations of their family’s financial struggles, especially in light of the relentless increases in prices of staple and other basic commodities. A housewife from Albay who was accompanying her son, lamented how she was placed in Bracket A in the socialized tuition scheme (the bracket reserved for rich families) and made to pay 1,500 per unit when her husband is only a farmer. One afternoon, former Student Regent Terry Ridon and I went to the parents’ waiting area and spoke in front of the crowd. I didn’t expect the parents’ response to be overwhelming. Parents were talking to us left and right telling us how difficult it has become to send their children to UP. They expressed support for the campaign to junk the policy and they all signed our manifesto.

(more…)

Tags: freshmen, tuition increase, University Student Council