May Tubo ba ang Pagtulong ng UP? What Counts as Public Service in the National University (A Public Forum)

"May Tubo ba ang Pagtulong ng UP? What Counts as Public Service in the National University" is the first forum of the 2012 UP TWSC Public Forum Series, "Ang Tama Ba sa U.P, Tama rin sa Bayan?"

September 5, 2012 (Wednesday), 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon

Pulungang Claro M. Recto (Faculty Center Conference Hall), Rizal Hall, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines-Diliman

Please click here for the playlist of video recordings of the forum.

PROGRAM

9:00 - 9:15

REGISTRATION

9:15 - 9:20
WELCOME REMARKS
Maria Ela L. Atienza, PhD
Director, Third World Studies Center
University of the Philippines-Diliman

9:20 - 9:30
INTRODUCTION OF THE SPEAKERS

9:30 - 9:45
FRANCISCO NEMENZO, PHD
Professor Emeritus and
Former President,
University of the Philippines

9:45 - 10:00
J. PROSPERO E. DE VERA, DPA
Vice-President for Public Affairs
University of the Philippines

10:00 - 10:15
EDGARDO D. GOMEZ, PHD
University Professor Emeritus
Marine Science Institute,
University of the Philippines-Diliman

10:15 - 10:30
NICETO S. POBLADOR, PHD
Retired Professor of Management, UP Mindanao and
formerly Professorial Lecturer, UP School of Economics

10:30 - 11:30
OPEN FORUM

11:30 - 12:00
SYNTHESIS


MODERATOR
Rosalinda Pineda-Ofreneo, PhD
Moderator
Dean, College of Social Work and Community Development
University of the Philippines-Diliman


ABOUT THE FORUM

The present UP System has embodied its role as public service university through the UP Padayon Disaster Response Team, the Green UP program, and special grants for source of solutions, to name a few. The UP Padayon Disaster Response Team, a team of experts from the fields of medicine, public health and sanitation, forensics, and geohazards, was deployed in response to the devastation left by typhoon Sendong in 2011 and was hailed by the UP Newsletter as the university‟s flagship program on volunteerism. Green UP, President Alfredo Pascual's flagship program, has aimed to turn UP into a showcase of environmental projects through public-private partnerships. A special research grant for results-oriented projects and open innovation solutions has also been created to transform UP into a source of solutions to many of the country‟s problems, churning out patents and copyrights. A closer look at these initiatives point to the glaring absence of institutionalized voluntarism, spanning educational assistance, community health and social welfare, advocacy, and research—where students get the opportunities to give flesh and blood to the term Iskolar ng Bayan, according to the UP Pahinungod website. Gone are the days when students, employees and faculty would go to far-flung areas to help in the skills enhancement or when they help preserve the Filipino culture through a local history program. Has UP been sidetracked in its commitment to the service of the nation when it got caught up in public-private partnerships geared towards instant return of investment and definite media exposure, i.e., greening the university and practical, immediate response to natural disasters? The internal logic and allocated resources for the university's engagement with the public must therefore be laid bare before an audience that without hesitation will test the soundness, efficacy, and relevance of said rationale. How much of UP's resources are actually devoted to these public service efforts? What counts as public service? When is it mere photo op and lip service? During the forum, the UP administration will have a chance to reflect on and refine its chosen architecture of intent and for the participants to offer alternative perspectives and directions on UP's role as a public institution, on how the university addresses the delicate interplay of private interest and public concern.