UP President Alfredo Pascual’s Speech at Feb. 10 Turnover Ceremonies

Alfredo E. Pascual President, University of the Philippines Speech during the Turnover Ceremonies 10 February 2011, Quezon Hall, Quezon City Mapagpala at mapagpalayang umaga sa inyong lahat. Binabati ko ang mga miyembro ng Lupon ng Rehente, si Pangulong Emerlinda Roman, mga dating rehente, mga dating Pangulo ng pinakamamahal nating unibersidad, mga dati at kasalukuyang opisyal ng UP, kaguruan, kawani, estudyante, ang aking mga kaibigan, kamag-anak at miyembro ng pamilya. Ladies and gentlemen. First and foremost, let me thank all those who have given me their trust and confidence. Thank you for this opportunity to serve our beloved Alma Mater. It will be an honor for me to build upon the legacy of UP’s past leaders. My predecessors have done much in setting the stage for the second century of UP’s existence. We take note, in particular, the contributions of my immediate predecessor, the first and, so far, only woman to be at the helm of our University. President Roman pushed the envelope for research in science and technology. The other accomplishments were described in her valedictory speech and these we do recognize. Under my administration, our plans and programs will be guided by the vision statement that accompanied my acceptance of nomination for the UP presidency. That vision will mark our path for the next six years. What is that vision? We want to see UP as a GREAT university in the 21st century: A university that takes a leadership role in the development of the country, while anchored on academic excellence. A university that has a strong research capability, supported by an expanded graduate program, unshackled by sectarian constraints or commercial interests, and geared to addressing societal problems. A university that has excellent faculty and staff working in an environment which inspires outstanding performance and high productivity, and provides decent compensation and equitable benefits. A university that recruits students from among the best and brightest and provides them affordable tertiary education. A university that prepares its students for successful careers and responsible citizenship in a globalized world. A university that takes a quantum leap in the physical development of its campuses and their technological infrastructure for teaching, research, and administration A university that achieves financial sustainability by generating needed resources and managing costs efficiently, while preserving its public character. A university that is a model for good governance to the country it serves. My vision for UP as a great university is anchored on the UP charter of 2008, which declares UP as the national university of the country. The new charter mandates UP to perform a leadership role in higher education and national development. UP is expected to serve and lead as a graduate university, as a research university, as a public service university, and as a regional and global university. As the first President to be elected under the 2008 charter, I intend to fully utilize the enabling provisions of the charter in realizing my vision for UP. To help me bear the weight of the UP Presidency will be a team of accomplished UP professors who will serve as my Vice Presidents. For the record, I have not worked with, nor am I personally close to, any one of my designated Vice Presidents. But the basis of our relationship going forward is clear. I expect them to share my vision. I require their loyalty not to me as a person but to our shared vision of remaking our beloved University. At this point let me introduce quickly the men and women who will constitute my team: Vice President for Academic Affairs: Dr. Gisela Concepcion, Marine Science Institute Vice President for Administration: Dr. Maragtas Amante, SOLAIR Vice President for Development: Dr. Elvira Zamora, College of Business Administration Vice President for Legal Affairs: Atty. Danilo Concepcion, College of Law Vice President for Planning and Finance: Dr. Lisa Grace Bersales, School of Statistics Vice President for Public Affairs: Dr. Prospero de Vera III, NCPAG Secretary of the University and the Board of Regents: Dr. Lilian de las Llagas, College of Public Health, UP Manila To continue with my talk, allow me to share further thoughts on some key points of our vision for UP. On relevance. As the national university, UP must give paramount consideration to national concerns. UP has a historic commitment of service to the Filipino nation. We shall continue to provide a fertile ground on which to nurture and harness the creative and innovative talents of our people in science and the arts. In the 21st century, we shall also help the country become a significant and positive player in global society through innovation. UP must be heard and seen by the nation. Our experts in various units of the University have already been doing excellent work in addressing policy issues and getting their voices heard. We shall institutionalize a system by which our experts can provide a multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving and policy making. On research. To be able to truly impact national development, UP must upgrade its research and development (R&D) capability, building it up from its existing and promising centers of excellence. Through R&D, we shall work to find innovative solutions to problems of the country, our people and our industries, and introduce technology-based products to create new industries that can spur job creation. Our faculty members produce research and creative outputs in the natural and social sciences, humanities, and the arts. We shall have a program to communicate these outputs in an accessible language. This will facilitate their easy application by our people and industries. In addition, we shall protect the intellectual properties coming out of our laboratories and facilitate technology transfers that will yield fair economic benefits to our researchers and the University. On our faculty and staff. UP must recruit, maintain and develop the best academic staff. Through incentives and professional development programs, we shall entice our best graduates and the best graduates of other great universities in the country to commit themselves to professional careers in the University. Our personnel are a precious resource of the University. We shall observe employment terms that are fair to all categories of staff. In due course, we shall review the principle and practice behind the UP compensation system. The review will emphasize the links between productivity, equity, motivation and improvements in compensation, especially the non-cash components, such as housing and healthcare. Performance-based incentives will also be explored. On our students. Surely, UP must admit only the best high school graduates in the Philippines. But as the national university, UP must also take steps to adopt an inclusive policy that democratizes admission. We shall work with local political leaders in preparing top high school graduates in provincial areas to compete for UP admission. Much as UP is badly in need of funds, raising tuition fees in our undergraduate and research programs will not be our default solution. Our students must remain as Iskolar ng Bayan – enjoying an excellent but affordable tertiary education in a public university. Sometimes qualified students are forced to forego a UP education because of financial inadequacy. We shall do our best to prevent this. We shall strengthen our scholarship and financial assistance programs to provide adequate and timely need-based support. With globalization, our graduates will be working in a fast-changing world in the age of information. Through curricular reviews, we shall ensure that our students develop the capacity for critical thinking; for continued learning; and for effectively dealing with ambiguity, complexity and uncertainty. In addition, as the national university, UP must also prepare its graduates for leadership roles in the country or in their respective disciplines and professions. We shall ensure that our curricula and teaching methods are designed appropriately to respond to these needs. A strengthened general education program should enable our students to develop broader perspectives and a cross-disciplinary orientation, sound ethical standards, the values of good citizenship and, hopefully, a strong bias for serving the country. On financial sustainability. For UP, financial sustainability is a serious concern given the need to modernize its campuses, retain talents in its faculty, and achieve a world-class research university status. Under the 2008 charter, for instance, UP may get out of the ambit of the Salary Standardization Law and fix competitive salaries for its faculty. But for us to do this, we must be sure of a reliable inflow of extra funds, beyond our annual budget, to sustain the increased funding requirements. For this we need to build up sizeable endowment funds and/or implement sufficient revenue-generating activities. To illustrate, for us to provide our close to 4,000 faculty members an extra pay of just P100,000 annually on average, we need a commercial venture that provides an annual income of P400 million or an endowment fund with a corpus of no less than P8 billion (assuming a 5% annual return). In reality, we need multiples of the illustrative amounts given. On generating funds. Many say the problem is availability of fund sources. That is true in some sense. But we have to look also at what we present for funding. My banking experience tells me that good, bankable projects seldom have problems getting funded. We shall thus exert efforts to formulate our projects and programs very well in order to attract funders, be they the government and its agencies, donors, investors, corporate organizations, or international institutions. The new charter provides for 150% tax deductibility of donations to UP. In an era of rigorous tax enforcement, this incentive can serve as a material inducement to prospective donors. On government funding. UP needs a long-term funding commitment from the government over and above what is currently being allotted to it annually. We shall try to get this commitment by preparing a long term strategic development plan that builds the case of UP as a key player in national development. On development of idle properties. As a land grant university, UP has around 18,000 hectares of idle lands mostly from government. We shall pursue the development of these assets in partnership with the private sector to generate extra revenues for UP. Such partnerships for commercialization of assets should be distinguished from commercialization of education, which is not at all acceptable. We shall observe proper safeguards to maximize the financial gains of UP from its assets. These extra revenues should not replace, in whole or in part, the annual appropriations provided to UP by the national government as assured in the 2008 charter. On our alumni. Our alumni are an untapped resource for funds and expertise. We shall strengthen our alumni relations in a seamless cooperation with the UP Alumni Association. We shall make our alumni feel they are valued members of the UP community. We shall not scrimp in giving our alumni achievers due recognition. Our goal is to promote among our alumni a culture of giving back to the University. On efficient administration. It is one thing to raise funds; it is another to use funds efficiently. UP must ensure that wasteful expenditures are checked and administrative processes (such as procurement and hiring) are expedited. The use of information and communications technology (ICT) to reduce voluminous paperwork will be a key to achieving administrative efficiency. There are opportunities to also save on power bills, while transforming UP into a “green” zone. We shall also implement productivity improvements among staff through the creative use of technology and regular training for honing skills and changing mind-sets. On democratic governance. We shall observe the principles of democratic governance based on collegiality, representation, transparency, predictability, and accountability. In the management of funds and other resources entrusted to the University, responsible stewardship and ethical conduct shall additionally characterize good governance. The work ahead will not be easy, given the eclectic character of the University and the administrative and financial challenges we face. But with the faculty, research and administrative staff, students, and alumni joining hands with us to move the University forward, I am sure we will make much headway with our vision. The Office of the President will keep its communication lines open to the UP community. I would love to hear your views, comments and suggestions. In closing, let me paraphrase the song Tagumpay Nating Lahat: Together, let us reach out to the highest star. Our success will be a triumph for all. I now call on my team: let us go to work and lead in this quest of making UP a great university – the best in the country and one of the best in Asia and the world. Maraming salamat po. Source: http://www.up.edu.ph/upforum.php?i=350

New President of the University of the Philippines

Congratulations!

UP-Diliman Alumnus from Mindanao Supports the Views of UP Centennial President

At hindsight, Faculty Regent Esnaen M. Catong of the Western Mindanao State University---who is an alumnus of the country's premiere university---in various fora in Mindanao shared with the views of the members of the UP community; and supported the UP President in her December 7, 2009 statement, to wit: ENHANCING TRANSPARENCY, RESTORING TRUST

Monday, December 7, 2009 UP President Emerlinda R. Roman

Mindful of the need to safeguard and protect the fundamental rights of all those residing in the region affected by the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao, the University of the Philippines urges the government to exercise the strictest discretion in carrying out the enormous power at its disposal as a result of the proclamation, and the greatest transparency in the decision-making process. While there is a need to achieve a just resolution to the brutal and merciless killings that shocked the nation less than a month ago, the University of the Philippines believes that the proclamation of martial law should be resorted to only if all else has failed. The University of the Philippines as the national university, with the highest traditions of public service, calls on both Houses of Congress to immediately exercise their constitutional power to review the factual basis for the President‘s proclamation, without regard to any political affiliation, and with regard only to what is right and what is just. We also call on the Supreme Court to speedily resolve, with great fairness and the highest degree of judicial scholarship, all cases that may be filed questioning the proclamation. More than at any other point in time, what the country needs is an opportunity to trust its public institutions. The University of the Philippines joins the Filipino people in hoping that this trust might soon be restored. Signed by EMERLINDA R. ROMAN President University of the Philippines System http://up.edu.ph/features.php?i=169

I'm Back

I'm Back...

Best Regards to all.

WMSU’s JFC Member Shines at the 2006 PPSA International Conference

By Moy N. Edding
Zamboanga Star, Vol. 24, No. 122 (November 3, 2006)

The research work of Esnaen M. Catong, a WMSU faculty and a Junior Faculty Club (JFC) member, was chosen by the prestigious Philippine Political Science Association (PPSA) last June 26, 2006 for presentation at the 2006 PPSA International Conference which focused on the theme “Alternatives.” He presented his study entitled Active ‘Three-O’ Diplomacy: An Indispensable Alternative for Philippine Survival at the said international conference held on October 27-28, 2006 at the Grand Astoria Hotel, this city.

In the 58-page study, Prof. Catong contends that “it is in the best interests of the Philippines to take a closer look on the ‘Three-O’ (Oil, OFW, and OIC) for survival.” He argues that “ours is a ‘history of crisis’ hence the country’s leadership (present and future) should focus on coming up with decisive and clear-cut policies on ‘Three-O’.” “We should graduate from ‘reactionary policies’ on OFWs, Oil, and OIC,” he adds.

Notable, in his powerpoint presentation using data from POEA, BSP, DOE, and some foreign institutions as primary and secondary sources, he argues that “the Philippines cannot do away with main OFW-host countries who happen to be OPEC-key players, and also OIC influential members.” Finally, after discussing the challenges and prospects of ‘Three-O’ he offers recommendations to address ‘Three-O’ confronting the country. Among others, he offers visible solutions that include a “Comprehensive OFW Program (COFWP),’ how to “deal with OPEC for Oil aside from working for alternative energy sources,” and how to “engage with OIC for sustainable peace and development in the country.” And the way to do it, he said, is to have active diplomatic engagements herein referred as “Active ‘Three-O’ Diplomacy.”

Teng Catong, as his friends call him, teaches political science and history at the College of Liberal Arts of WMSU. His research interests include Philippine Foreign Relations, Diplomatic History (West Asia and Southeast Asia), Conflict Resolution, Islamic Studies, Ethno-history, Political Dynamics, and Migration. He has presented research papers in international and national academic conferences. Recently, one of his studies won in a research competition from the Research Fellowship Program for Young Muslim Scholars under the auspices of AMAN and the Rockefeller Foundation based in Bangkok, Thailand.

Prof. Catong is one of the founding members of the JFC whose main goal is to protect and enhance the interest of its members usually with a rank of Assistant Professor down to Instructor in WMSU. He joined the political science department of WMSU as a visiting lecturer in 1996 and became a tenured faculty in 1999. Teng is among the principled and respected young leaders/educators in the region and has always been working as a partner of WMSU in development. He was overwhelmingly elected president of the University Student Council and the 1^st Student Regent of WMSU pursuant to the CHED Modernization Act (R.A. 8292) in S.Y. 1997-1998. Indeed, he is one of the admired faculty members that WMSU has produced. He earned his B.A. in Political Science in 1995 and Bachelor of Laws in 1999 at WMSU. He graduated an M.A. in History, Cognate in Political Science at UP Diliman, where he is also finishing a Ph.D.

The Philippine Political Science Association (PPSA) International conference is one of the most high profile academic events in the field of Political Science. PPSA is the Philippine Social Science Council’s (PSSC) leading Professional Association. This year’s gathering showcased scholars in the field of political science that include Prof. Felipe Miranda, Prof. Alexander Magno, Prof. Malaya Ronas, Dr. Olivia Caoili, Dr. Natalia Morales, Dr. Teresa Encarnacion Tadem, Dr. Amado Mendoza, Dr. Maria Ela Atienza, Dr. George Tigno, Prof. Raymund Quilop, Prof. Aries Arugay, Prof. Perlita Frago, Prof. Rolando Fernando, and Prof. Lusterio Rico, all from UP Diliman; Dr. Ronald Holmes of DLSU; and Dr. Macapado Abaton Muslim of MSU. Dr. Antonio Ledesma, S.J. of Xavier University was the keynote speaker.

Faculty members and scholars from leading universities abroad like Dr. Reynaldo Ileto of National University of Singapore joined other academics and researchers from non-academic institutions in infusing discourses from various perspectives with other research presenters in the country from UP Diliman, UP Visayas, AdMU, DLSU, WMSU, UAP, MSU, USM, USC, XU, AFP, IPD, AER, and SWS.

Foreign universities with research presenters include Cankaya University and Fatih University in Turkey, Flinders University of South Australia, Gadja Mada University, Humboldt University of Berlin, Kobe University of Foreign Studies, Kyoto University, National University of Singapore, University of Canberra, University of Florida, and University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Former UP Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Political Science Dr. Olivia Caoili, former Dean of UP Institute of Islamic Studies Dr. Carmen Abubakar, and UP School of Industrial and Labor Relations Professor Dr. Virginia Teodosio were among the renowned academics present in the 2006 PPSA International Conference who responded with positive remarks on the study of Prof. Catong.

Meanwhile, Prof. Catong is “encouraging his colleagues at the premiere university in Western Mindanao to let their presence be felt in their respective fields of specialization through research. We should be proactive in producing research outputs to help our respective communities in line with the purpose of the university’s creation.” “This is my modest way of responding to the statement of WMSU and PASUC president Dr. Eldigario D. Gonzales during the opening ceremony of the WMSU Centennial Palaro that ‘the best is yet to come’,” he adds.

The WMSU president upon the recommendation of CLA Dean Dr. Agnes Duque also sent political science Professors Patrocinio Enopia, Edgar Araojo, Jofre Rasul, Lilibeth Macario, and Criselda Chou as participants in the recently concluded international conference which was co-sponsored by the Asia Foundation, USAID, City of Zamboanga, ADZU, and PSSC.

WMSU is celebration its centennial with the theme WMSU: A Century of Commitment to Excellence!

Political Dynamics in Philippines-Saudi Arabia Relations, 1968-1998

Philippines-Saudi Arabia relations is unique and really one of its kind. Republic of the Philippines is practically dependent on the petroleum products of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest supplier of oil. On the other hand, Philippines is branded as the world’s second largest exporter of Overseas Workers, that helped her to survive economically. The inhabitants of these countries have centuries-old trading relations. Moreover, cultural and religious ties of the two nations-states is an indispensable element, Saudi Arabia being the care-taker of the Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madina, visited by the able Muslims in the world to perform pilgrimage (hajj) including the Muslims in the Philippines as one of the pillars in Islam.

This research paper attempts to prove the existence of a foundation of mutual benefits in the diplomatic and consular ties of the Philippines and the Saudi Arabia during the administrations of President Ferdinand E. Marcos to that of President Fidel V. Ramos, from 1968 to 1998, and examines the provability of strengthening that relationship. Thus, it is designed to answer the following: 1) How Philippines-Saudi Arabia relations have mutually benefited each other; 2) What the impediments are in the tie-up between the two-politically independent states; 3) How these relations are turned into politically, economically, and socio-culturally productive partnership and cooperation between Philippines and Saudi Arabia; and (4) What the implications are of these ties to the two nation-states.

This work is not only essential because of its probable contributions to the realm of history, economics, politics and governance in general and in the field of diplomatic history of the Philippines and Saudi Arabia in particular, that would help in opening an avenue towards the challenging field of research, but also because of its uniqueness and relevance nowadays, not to mention its probable input in widening the horizon of the concerned, the governing and the governed.

A portion of a final paper in Political Science 260 under Prof. Grace Gorospe Jamon, Ph.D., at the Department of Political Science, CSSP, University of the Philippines (2002). This research work was geared towards the author's Master's Thesis at UP-Diliman.

IRANUN: A Dynamic Ethno-linguistic Tribe in Southern Philippines

This study[1] shows that there exists a dynamic ethno-linguistic tribe known as Iranun even prior to the advent of Islam in mainland Mindanao, and affluent in terms of indigenous culture and civilization. The dynamic characteristics and transformation of this ethno-linguistic tribe is the main focus of this research work aside from proving her being a distinct tribe, although interrelated, from the M’ranao and Tau-saraya (the present-day Maguindanaon) and other ethno-linguistic tribes in Southern Philippines. Moreover, the Iranuns occupy a substantial portion of historic places in Mindanao, Sulu, Palawan, Sabah and other places of the Malay world.

Up to this present juncture, no comprehensive study is conducted about the Iranun as an ethno-linguistic tribe, especially by an Iranun himself who knows the language and local history, and who has access to some primary and secondary sources from local---tarsilas, kitabs, and tudtulan---and foreign data to establish his claim. In the light of colonial resistance, this dynamic people was termed by the Spanish authorities as Illano, Ilano, Ilana, Hilalones, Illanum, Illanun, or simply Moros and Mohametanas, being the defenders of the present day Illana Bay (Moro Gulf), and by US colonial writers in an over-simplistic manner as Moros, Mohamedans, marauders, pirates, raiders, slave traders, and “lords of the eastern seas.”

Historical methodology (oral and local history method through interviews transcribed by the proponent) with content analysis as well as linguistic and other anthropological methodologies were used in this study. The role of the Iranuns in the Maguindanao and Sulu Sultanates and other Islamic-inspired social institutions and their relations with foreign colonial powers was uncovered as a contribution to the body of knowledge. This modest study by an insider, although limited, tries to widen the horizon of the people in the social arena by paving the road towards understanding the Iranun as a people, their language, places of origin, way of life, and relations with other peoples in the Philippines and the Malay world.

[1] A paper presented by Esnaen M. Catong at the 4th National Philippine Studies Conference on September 17-18, 2004 at the Golden Pine Hotel and Restaurant, Baguio City sponsored by the Philippine Studies Association and the University of the Philippines-Baguio.