UP Land Use: “The Erosion of the UP Public Character”

In the recent public forum that I had attended, two of the speakers had claimed that the misuse of the UP lands has been eroding our public character.  I absolutely agree.  

Full swing privatization shows a switch in the priority of the administration from the education and welfare of UP students and employees to income generation by all means. We can see this in many of the UP lands; however, due to its timeliness I’d like to focus on the newly built UP Town Center.

One of the student speakers who is currently part of the University Student Council mentioned that in order to build this establishment, the UP Integrated School’s (UPIS) students as well as staff were relocated into the campus of UP Diliman. This would have been alright if one, Ayala had donated enough money to reconstruct it complete with all the facilities and equipment and if two, if the future establishment would cater to the UP Student and his needs according to the UP Charter.

Sadly, none of those two conditions were satisfied. Ayala asked UPIS to leave with the condition of a 220M donation for a new building in the campus but this was not enough. UPIS had to find means to support themselves and resorted to launching a project to earn money due to the lack of facilities and equipment. In addition to that, the new UP Town Center was not built according to the provisions of section 22 of the UP Charter that focuses on Land Use.

First of all, Section 22 states that the land must be used for Academic purposes. Today, we see that the UP Town Center has absolutely no academic relevance. It only houses numerous food establishments and one clothing store, which have no benefits or special privileges at the very least for students taking up related courses such as Hotel Restaurant Management or Clothing Technology. It is purely for leisure purposes.

Secondly, the UP Charter indicates that the use of UP lands must not act as a substitute for state subsidy. However, the main reason for launching the UP Town in the first place is so that the university will have income to support itself and its students which is lacking from the government. This is another direct violation of the provisions of section 22.

Thirdly, there must be transparency and accountability regarding all transactions and the cash flow of the institution. According to the speaker, the University Student Council has continuously requested for financial reports from UP lands however no breakdown has ever been given. They are only able to see summaries and do not know whether the income generated indeed goes to the UP community.

Lastly, one of its provisions is that there must be student consultation regarding the matter. Sadly, there was no comprehensive consultation that took place regarding the establishment of the UP Town Center. If so, then it would not have ended up as infamous with majority of the UP students today. Most people only knew about it when it was already being built and were surprised at the type of market it caters to. Several iskos and iskas now believe that it does not even deserve to be called the UP Town Center because it only caters to people of the upper brackets and mostly Ateneans or students from the Miriam College.

With all of this said, we see how the establishment of the UP Town Center clearly reflects the current orientation of our government as well as the administration. They claim that we have no money and can no longer provide for ourselves in UP but we have seen recently through the PDAF scam that we do in fact have enough for the country and for the university. Therefore, it is NOT true that we do not have the sufficient budget, and we must start looking for other more correct ways on how to solve this problem without degrading the public’s image of the UP community. We have to prove to the people that we have not become slave to commercialization and we have not become the next Ateneo de Manila or De La Salle University. We have to show others that we are still Iskolars ng Bayan who tirelessly fight for equality and opportunity for all. We have to establish that we are still the University of the Philippines, for the Philippines.

This essay was written in response to the public forum "Kapeeconomiya: UP Land Use"

 Posted by:

Aitana Kaw

Moonstruck?

Photo from: Google

Filipinos were left awestruck as a halo around the moon was spotted in the night sky last Monday, January 13, 2013. The planet Jupiter also found its way in the photos with its special appearance inside the halo. With this, Facebook news feeds and Twitter timelines were flooded with posts and photos of the picturesque sight that was seen across the country. 

So what was the hype all about? The halo, or specifically 22° halo, is a phenomenon caused by light reflected and refracted in millions of tiny ice crystals present in high altitude cirro-stratus clouds. As lights passes through these hexagon-shaped ice crystals, it is bent at a 22 degree angle (thus the 22° halo), creating a halo 22 degrees in radius.

Lunar halos are mostly colorless since moonlight isn’t very bright – colors are more noticeable in solar halos. In it, red is more prominent on the inside and blue on the outside – this is because blue light refracts more than red. Also, the said phenomenon usually happens in cold months, which our country currently experiencing.

Here’s a fun fact: the said crystals have to be oriented and positioned with respect to one’s eye. This means that everyone sees their own unique halo, made by their own particular ice crystals which are different from the ice crystals making the halo of the person standing next to you. Awesome, isn’t it?

Mixed feelings were shared by the Filipino netizens because at the same time that the posts stating how amazing and breathtaking this occurrence is, are posts that state that this is an omen - a bad sign of a disaster coming. Legend says that if you count the number of stars inside the lunar halo, that’s the number of days before it will rain.

There is truth in this as high cirrus clouds often come before a storm, but the said event does not necessarily signal a storm. But nonetheless, there’s no harm in preparing – after all, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?

References:

http://earthsky.org/space/what-makes-a-halo-around-the-moon

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/pinoys-dazzled-by-haloed-moon-055411790.html

http://scoopboy.com/lunar-halo-causes-stir-online/

Posted by: Stephanie Cabana

Baby, It’s REALLY Cold Outside: The Polar Vortex

Photo of a Chicago Deep freeze by Pilot Hank Cain

This January, Americans in at least two dozen states have been shivering for a couple of weeks brought about by a distorted polar vortex. The cold air it is sending southward is said to be the biggest visitor from the North Pole since Santa Claus. The gifts it brings, however, are too cold and completely unwelcome. Until today, much of the United States suffers from record low temperatures.

What really is this polar vortex that everyone seems to be talking about? A polar vortex is a strong area of low pressure around the Arctic that is composed of a circulation of strong, upper-level winds. These winds tend to keep intensely cold air locked in the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere but occasionally, counterclockwise winds around it become distorted and push waves of bitter cold air into the USA. 

The distortion leading to a massive winter storm on Jan. 2

This distortion of the vortex is something normal and occurs naturally. However, it never happened with this intensity. This is why the possibility of this current phenomenon as a side effect of global warming has become a hot research topic. 

According to CNN International senior meteorologist Brandon Miller, some research shows that it could be possible. Different types of extreme weather are consequences from the overall warming of the planet, melting of the Arctic Sea ice, etc. and this includes extreme distortions of the jet stream, which can cause heat waves in summer and cold outbreaks in winter.

Now a polar vortex can only lead to major cold outbreaks in countries in the Northern Hemisphere such as North America, Europe, and Asia, so the Philippines will never really be greatly affected by this. However, this occurrence is a call for all of us to be responsible citizens and to strive to alleviate global warming. These extreme weather conditions pose a great risk to the lives of our fellow men and we must start living green now.

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This blog entry was written in response to the collection of photographs of the first major winter storm of 2014 found on NYDailynews.com

Webpage: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/winter-storm-hercules-pummels-major-u-s-cities-gallery-1.1564642?pmSlide=1.1567000

Works Cited:

-       Roston, Eric. "Why Is It So Cold? The Polar Vortex, Explained." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 08 Jan. 2014. Web. 09 Jan. 2014.

-    Duke, Alan. "Frigid Air from the North Pole: What's This Polar Vortex?" CNN. Cable News Network, 06 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.

-         Rice, Doyle. "What Is the Polar Vortex?" USA Today. Gannett, 06 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.

Image Sources:

-         http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/01/polar-vortex-2014-photos-of-a-chicago-deep-freeze/

-         http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-07/why-is-it-so-cold-the-polar-vortex-explained.html

Posted By: Aitana Kaw

Kapekonomiya 2.0.: UP Land Use

As a stakeholder of the University, it is important that we are aware of how the assets of the institution including land is being utilised to further improve its provision of quality education. During the educational discussion, it was presented that UP land use has eventually changed due to the construction of new infrastructure including the National Science Complex, as well as the attempt of the university to enter in lease contracts with private organisations in order to generate more income to fund the university's operations.

From the administration side, these lease contracts are not new and that these are significant source of income for the university. Also, all these contracts are in conformity with the university's land use and mandate. However, from the other view, the contracts are seen as not in full conformity with the land use plan and that leasing the university's land to private entities is not in consonance with the primary service function of the university - academic and scholarship.

On a personal note, I am not against the lease contracts for as long as land allocated for academic purposes are not reduced and that services and facilities are being improved due to the resources generated from the lease contracts. Otherwise, I see the lease agreements to be against the UP mandate - to become a research, graduate and public service university.

Sources of Light, Sources of Hope

The recent typhoon Yolanda (inter nation name: Haiyan) cost the Philippine so much. It damaged most of Visayas and some parts of Mindanao. Some towns are partly damaged while some are totally washed out. Evacuees are in 'tent cities' while damaged infrastructures and other properties are being recovered and rehabilitated. Among the most important issue in the devastated area is electricity - for some household appliances, light, mobile phone and flashlight charging. But with the extent of destruction in the power lines and posts, authorities and power companies have yet to provide the area with the electricity that they need.

The tenure of Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla has also been endangered by this issue, as people called the official's resignation after failing to meet his earlier pronouncement that power in some areas will be 100% operating by Christmas. But the Palace kept the Secretary in his post saying that the latter has been performing well even if he did not meet his earlier target due to actual challenges in the area.

Project EnKindle

In these times of calamities and destruction, we Filipino are not hesitant to extend whatever help we can give. We also harness our creativity and innovativeness to create something that will be of benefit to us and for others. This is why a number of individuals was able to help families in the devastated areas to have access to power from other sources and means while waiting for the reinstallation of power lines.

A Liter of Light

A group named Project EnKindle lend solar panels that help people capture and utilise the power from sunlight. Another project named A Liter of Light utilised pet bottles, water and detergent as an alternative lighting. Using a small solar panel-chip that captures sunlight in the morning, the bottle illuminates a household just like an electrically-powered light bulb. From simple materials found home, the bottles have become not only a container of water but also a container of light, a source of hope.

With these innovations, it is proven that Filipinos are not just resilient and symphatetic during disasters. Our creative sides are also evident during these times and we are getting not only personal gains from these but also societal gains as we are able to help others. With concerned and innovative Filipinos, we can never be defeated by the challenges that we will be facing. The solar panel and the bottles are not just sources of light for the families, but they are also sources of hope that we will rise again.



Sources:
http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/typhoon-yolanda/47662-project-enkindle-yolanda-solar-panels;
http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/typhoon-yolanda/43998-petilla-resign-if-power-not-restored-by-dec-24;
http://www.gov.ph/2013/12/26/statement-the-presidential-spokesperson-on-the-retention-of-energy-secretary-jericho-petilla;
http://lightup.justworks.me;

http://aliteroflight.org