Today, 21 February 2021 (1:36 AM Philippine Standard Time), the Philippines will once again make another historic mark in the field of space science!
The Maya-2 CubeSat🇵🇭 (cube satellite), developed by three Filipino students, will be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) along with Paraguay’s GuaraniSat-1 CubeSat🇵🇾 and Japan’s Tsuru CubeSat🇯🇵 for the BIRDS 4 Satellite Project – KyuTech aboard the Northrop Grumman CRS-15 mission.
The Filipino students who built Maya-2 came from different Philippine universities. The Maya-2 CubeSat team is composed of BIRDS-4 Project Manager Izrael Zenar C. Bautista who obtained his degree in MS Energy Engineering at the UP Diliman, BIRDS-4 Project Member Mark Angelo C. Purio who obtained his degree in MS Electronics Engineering at De La Salle University and his MA in Education at Adamson University, and BIRDS-4 Project Member Marloun Sejera obtained his degree in MS in Electronics and Communications Engineering at the Mapúa Institute of Technology. All three of them are currently pursing PhD in Space Systems Engineering and Space Engineering at 九州工業大学 Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech).
Maya-2 CubeSat’s development is part of the 4th Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds Satellite project. The Joint Global Multi-nation “BIRDS-4 Satellite Project” is a cross-border interdisciplinary CubeSat project hosted at Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan, in collaboration with the three nations.
Maya-2 was developed through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), UP Diliman, Kyutech’s 4th Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds Satellite (BIRDS-4) Project, and with the support of the Philippine Space Agency.
We, the undersigned faculty members of the UP Diliman Department of Computer Science strongly denounce how the AFP, Police, DSWD and Paramilitary groups forcefully took away students and teachers staying at the University of San Carlos – Talamban Campus.
One of two teachers arrested was our honor graduate, Mr. Chad Booc, who teaches Mathematics at the Lumad School and is working to improve on the Manobo Dictionary, a translation app.
We join the chorus of condemnations against the invasion of the University of San Carlos (a partner institution of the ERDT consortium); the abuse of children (described as a “rescue” operation); the maltreatment of cultural minorities and the utter disrespect for the SVD, the religious community in whose retreat house the Lumads stayed.
We call for the immediate release of all the detainees.
SIGNED:
Henry Adorna Ivan Carlo Balingit Jerome Beltran Vena Pearl Bongolan Francis Cabarle Jaime Caro Mario Carreon Kristofer delas Penas Rommel Feria Ligaya Leah Figueroa Roselyn Gabud Carlo Raquel Paul Rossener Regonia Ma. Rowena Solamo Jaymar Soriano Wilson Tan Adrian Roy Valdez Philip Christian Zuniga
Dear President Danilo Concepcion, faculty and students:
On behalf of the UP Alumni Association in America, Inc. (UPAAA, Inc.), we express our strong support for your stand in preserving the integrity and independence of the University as the bastion of academic freedom in the country. Our vision clearly articulates the values of UPAAA, Inc. as “ a strong broad-based organization of alumni of the University of the Philippines in the service and support of the Alma mater, the UP alumni, the UP system and the community in pursuit of common goals.”
Recent developments have prompted us to highlight once more what the University stands for and its role as the nation’s premier educational institution of learning. UP is a microcosm of the larger community but has a significant role in nation-building. It is, and has been, the breeding ground for progressive and creative ideas and free expression represented by the iconic statue of the Oblation. The university has produced leaders in the community and country who have contributed in a large part to the progress of our native land. Stifling academic freedom denigrates the immense promise of the youth to contribute to the future of the country.
As a foreign-based nation-wide organization of UP alumni striving to unify UP alumni in the United States and other countries, we provide the anchor upon which alumni living in foreign lands from the diaspora of the past, can look for unity and collaboration. It is therefore with alarm that we see the insidious threat to the independence and leadership of the University in promoting academic freedom in other institutions of learning all over the country. We need the UP youth to go boldly into the future to shape our nation as leaders that the country needs them to be. We need the faculty to continue molding these young minds in the tradition of our heroes of the past and become leaders of tomorrow.
We recognize that unlawful behavior is never tolerated by the university and has adhered to the observance of the laws. But it also has the obligation to protect the rights of the students, faculty and everyone within the jurisdiction of the university. When these rights are violated without due process, democracy in the country is gradually eroded. Holding the threat of punishment or fear over the heads of students and the university as a whole becomes a cloud that suppresses growth of academic vibrancy.
In pursuit of honor and excellence, UPAAA, Inc. remains truly yours,
Daisy M. Rodriguez, RN,BSN,MN,MPA National President, UPAAA,Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO- -There was no legal basis to abrogate an agreement entered into by the University of the Philippines (UP) with the Department of National Defense (DND) in 1989 as the pact has no valid exit clause for a unilateral move by either party to terminate it.
This was the contention of participants in the recent “Digital
Dialogue on the Abrogation of the 1989 UP-DND Accord: In Defense of UP”
hosted by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of San
Francisco (UPAASF) and moderated by board director Odette
Alcazaren-Keeley.
Scores of UP alumni both in the Philippines and abroad joined the
webinar. Chancellor Dr. Fidel Nemenzo provided the historical context
for the 32-year accord. He was joined by Atty. Ruben Carranza, Dr.
Jennifer Mijares Zimmerman and Dr. Anton Juan, who all shared their
views on the arbitrary abrogation’s impact on academic freedom and civil
rights.
Nemenzo recalled that they were shocked on social media a Jan. 15,
2021 letter of DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to UP President Danilo
Concepcion, abrogating the agreement, saying that it has become a
hindrance to the security, safety and welfare of students and faculty of
UP.
Lorenzana claimed that UP has turned into a recruitment ground and
safe haven for enemies of the state, particularly the Communist Party
which is waging armed revolution.
What spurred the 1989 accord was the arrest and detention of
Collegian staff member Donato Continente for alleged involvement in the
killing of U.S. soldier Col. James Rowe. Continente was released from
prison after 15 years.
Nemenzo’s father, Dr. Francisco “Dodong” Nemenzo, was then the UP faculty regent and a signatory to the accord, which somehow eased concerns about the militarization of campuses. The elder Nemenzo remembered the talks to be very friendly
No legal basis for abrogation
“The agreement was a democratic response to the suppression of UP and
all freedoms during the dictatorship. Since then, it has served as the
framework of cooperation between UP and the DND and for over three
decades allowed the parties to fulfill each of their mandates — on the
part of UP the promotion of learning and intellectual inquiry and on
the part of military, law enforcement,” Chancellor Nemenzo explained.
He maintains that Lorenzana’s claim that UP has become the breeding
ground for insurgents even if it were true, would not be sufficient
ground for the abrogation, especially since the agreement has no exit
clause that would allow for its unilateral termination.
On academic freedom, UP President Concepcion, who could not make it
to the webinar due to a conflict in schedule, wrote the UPAASF:
”It is really heartwarming that the UP alumni are always ready to
defend academic freedom, the lifeblood of the university. The
Soto-Enrile of 1982 was the government’s recognition the university
should be allowed to exercise the enjoyment of all the ingredients,
aspects and trappings of academic life where students and faculties can
think, move, and express without fear of any non-academic reprisals. For
these things to exist, the government, through Enrile gave all those
commitments in the Soto-Enrile declaration. Such commitments were
reiterated in the 1989 Abueva-Ramos accord and the 1992 Abueva-Alunan
accord.”
Agreement ‘more political than legal’
For his part Ruben Carranza, a former DND Assistant Secretary,
regards the 1989 agreement as a balance of power, three years after the
EDSA revolution, between a military “that has not yet been held
accountable for its complicity with the dictatorship, on one hand, and a
progressive People Power movement on the other hand.”
“It is more of a political agreement than a legal instrument between
two state institutions one that has a monopoly of force in the state and
that of higher learning that has academic freedom that recognized the
role of both institutions in the state. You would not want the military
to be a guarantor of your academic freedom, would you?” asked Carranza.
Carranza believes that Lorenzana’s claim that the 1989 UP-DND
agreement was simply a courtesy accorded to UP is wrong because “it was a
concession that the dictatorship was gone and that they could no longer
act the way they did during the dictatorship without the dictator.”
“And now for Lorenzana to say that the agreement is now obsolete
because times have changed, is Lorenzana, in effect, saying that there
is a new dictator in power? The abrogation of the agreement implies that
there are people in the government who think that they can now bring
back the dictatorship, the repression, even the corruption during the
Marcos period even without Marcos,” Carranza surmised.
Carranza strongly insisted that campuses should be a battleground of
ideas and ideologies and not a battlefield even as he asked UP
constituents to demand human rights and freedom of poor Filipinos living
in shanties that have been targeted by the Duterte drug war.
For her part, Dr. Jennifer Mijares Zimmerman, a pediatrician in
Northwest Florida, said her UP training in speaking up for those who
cannot was put to good use while providing health care for underserved
population for 20 years.
Zimmerman’s desire to speak for the voiceless even prompted her to run in 2018 as the Democratic party candidate for the 1st Congressional District of Florida against eventual winner Republican Matt Gaetz, a Trump defender.
“UP has generated a lot of very strong graduates who thrived in the
environment where they are able to exchange and consider opposing ideas
in offering solutions to problems,” said Zimmerman, herself one of the
first UP graduates after the 1986 People Power Revolution.
Dr. Anton Juan viewed the abrogation of the agreement as a
diversionary tactic as government authorities are wont to do. Juan is a
University of Notre Dame du Lac professor and theater director knighted
twice by the French government for his contribution to the arts and was
former UP Diliman Professor of Theater Arts, Comparative Literature,
European languages and Fine Arts.
An avowed NPA or National People’s Artist, Juan recalled that artists
like him are always responsive to issues as they had been doing protest
theater in the streets in the early 1970s demonstrations.
“Contrary to what the military says, UP is a breeding ground of
‘devils’ as prior to the communists, devils entered UP and these devils
are traitors who sold our country. UP has bred devils and heroes, but it
is up to us to memorialize those who will be remembered in history,”
Juan proffered. “Education should lead students into reality. Students
should be allowed to be led to the vastness of the dark, of critical
thinking, of political thoughts.”
“If you stifle the freedom in a prime institution, it is very easy to
stifle the freedom in other institutions (that) have already been
accused of being centers for recruitment of CPP-NPA. It affects us
because it can discourage us from speaking of the truth,” stressed Juan.
On Feb. 4, talks were held by UP President Concepcion, DND Secretary
Lorenzana and Commission on Higher Education Chairperson and UP Board of
Regent Chair Prospero De Vera III, who also brokered the dialog.
In a joint statement, Concepcion, Lorenzana and de Vera announced,
“The dialogue afforded the key leaders the opportunity to discuss the
way forward and possible areas of cooperation on how both institutions
can promote their mutual aspirations to ensure a safe and secure
environment conducive to learning,” and that the parties agreed to
continue the meeting as they look forward to subsequent talks.
Nemenzo confirmed the Feb. 4 meeting but that the parties’ statement lacked substance and simply signified the start of talks about the accord.
It has come to our attention that photos that erroneously identify the UP Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga (UP Clark), among other universities in Central Luzon, as a recruitment venue for the CPP-NPA, and which have already been denied by the heads of both the AFP and the PNP in September of 2020 as coming from any of their official social media accounts, are still up on the official Facebook pages of at least three PNP municipal and city police stations. As of today, 16 February 2021, the said photos are still up on the page of the Cantilan (Surigao del Sur) Municipal Police Station (posted 20 September 2020), the Coron Municipal Police Station (posted 15 January 2021 at 3:41 pm), and the Tacurong City (Sultan Kudarat) Police Station (posted 3 February 2021 at 10:18 am).
In September of last year, Facebook shut down 57 Facebook accounts, including 31 pages and 20 Instagram accounts linked to the AFP and PNP for “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” and these same photos were among those that were found to have violated the social media platform’s community standards. It is unfortunate that these photos containing false information that endangers our academic community continue to be published by unscrupulous members of the PNP on the force’s official social media accounts after the PNP vowed to ensure that it would continue to follow Facebook’s policies and observe cyber etiquette in all public engagements including social media platforms. We denounce this irresponsible behavior and ask the PNP to order the immediate removal of these posts.
UP Fight—mainly composed of members of iAmUPHi and UPAA-Iloilo—turned over their donations to West Visayas State University – Medical Center last January 30, 2021, in a ceremony held at the UPV main building. The donations were composed of equipment intended for WVSU-MC front liners combating the ongoing pandemic, such as hazmat suits, face masks and shields, rubbing alcohol, and protective gowns. Among those present were Dr. Marovi Celis and Judge Cyril Regalado of iAmUPHi, Atty. Dennis Guevara of UPAA, Chancellor Clement Camposano, VCAA Philip Ian Padilla, UPHSI Principal Alfredo Diaz, and Alumni Relations Director Rey Carlo Gonzales. The donations were received by Dr. Nemesio Granada (dean of WVSU School of Medicine) and Dr. Joselito Villaruz (President of WVSU), along with other WVSU officials, post-graduate interns, and clinical clerks.
Gina Apostol, former President of the Himbon Contemporary Ilonggo Artists Group and UPV Alumna, donated two of her paintings to the Office of Initiatives in Culture and the Arts this afternoon, January 26, 2021. Chancellor Clement Camposano received and signed for the paintings at the Liaison Office of UPV Iloilo City Campus. OICA Director Prof. Martin Genodepa also witnessed the turnover. Artworks donated:“Transcending the COVID-19 Era”Oil on Canvas12” x 16”2020Php 9,000.00“Pandemic Journal”Oil on Canvass12” x 18”2020Php 8,000.00
Photos from Prof. Julie Prescott, IPO & Mr. Jhunne Harold Mana-ay, OICA
“The one-sided cancellation of the 1989 accord violates established norms in a society that respects the sanctity of contracts. DND ignored and disregarded basic courtesies – there was no notification or consultation before taking action on a mutually agreed accord. Communication is the basis of understanding. Unfortunately, no prior communication transpired.The UPAA alumni members, many of whom are parents themselves, are equally concerned as the authorities about the well-being and future of the students in the university. Thus, we urge the concerned government authorities and the U.P. administration to commence dialogue towards a viable and mutually acceptable solution without further escalation of rhetoric and emotions.”
The University of the Philippines is now accepting short videos with a total running time of 30 to 90 seconds with the theme “Pag-aalay sa Panahon ng Pandemya” in the categories of narrative, documentary, animation, experimental, virtual/augmented reality, and music video. Winners will each receive a trophy and cash prize for each category that will be awarded in a virtual Video Festival Awards Night this February 2021: P15,000 for the first prize, P10,000 for second prize, P7,000 for third prize, along with a special Chooks-To-Go People’s Choice Award.
The festival entries on everyday heroism and hope in the time of COVID-19 do not necessarily have to focus on the university system, but may look at different people and their lives through the pandemic, and should be upload-able to different social media platforms. Shortlisted videos will be featured on TVUP, the Internet television network of the University of the Philippines and streamed via TVUP’s Facebook page. Entries/videos with duly-accomplished Festival entry forms need to be submitted via email at [email protected], on or before 30 January 2021.
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