Fred in PH

vigan

2012-04-26T23:35:00.001-07:00

occupy

2012-04-26T23:34:00.001-07:00

sa pangasinan

2012-04-26T23:31:00.002-07:00

occupy mendiola

2012-04-26T23:24:00.001-07:00

morong 43

2012-04-26T23:23:00.002-07:00

black nazarene procession

2012-04-26T23:20:00.002-07:00

flat earth

2012-04-26T23:19:00.002-07:00

Buddha

2012-04-26T23:18:00.004-07:00

seaside cottages

2012-04-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

Baguio

2012-04-26T23:17:00.001-07:00

gloria vat

2012-04-26T23:16:00.001-07:00

gloria on a jetplane

2012-04-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

pacquiao

2012-04-26T23:14:00.001-07:00

upgrade teachers salary

2012-04-26T23:12:00.003-07:00

rugby

2012-04-26T23:11:00.004-07:00

isdaan

2012-04-26T23:07:00.001-07:00

congress

2012-04-26T23:04:00.004-07:00

afima

2012-04-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

Padayon

2012-04-25T21:13:00.001-07:00

health and public service

2012-04-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

NIH R&D Plan

2012-04-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

UP admin, alumni reviving lagoon area

2012-04-25T21:08:00.003-07:00

UP admin, alumni reviving lagoon area
UP Newsletter, March 2012

The Lagoon Park and Theatrum is being revitalized as a venue for free recreational, educational and cultural activities. The Theatrum was originally donated by Beta Epsilon to the UP Diamond Jubilee in 1983 as its contribution to the celebration.

The UP Diliman administration and the project proponents, Beta Epsilon fraternity and its alumni, are landscaping the area and improving water flow management.

UP Diliman Chancellor Saloma said his office “is very grateful to the kindhearted generosity of the Beta Epsilon Alumni Foundation, which allowed the sustained, no-nonsense rehabilitation of the UP Lagoon, a cherished landmark of UP Diliman for many UP alumni. Regretfully and for one reason or another, the Lagoon had gone into a state of disrepair and benign neglect in recent years. Its current rehabilitation is both timely and auspicious especially for those of us who have learned to appreciate and love this campus.”

Prof. Leonardo Liongson of the Institute of Civil Engineering and a Beta Epsilon alumnus, as the hydrologist and member of the project committee, said the “new” lagoon will teem with biodiversity, with improved waterways for the storage and conveyance of storm water and treated wastewater, and with a well landscaped park area around a multi-functional theatrum where students and others can hold cultural performances, upon completion of the project’s phase one of three major phases.

Liongson said the “Beta Epsilon Theatrum and UP Lagoon & Waterways Improvement Project” is still in the first phase, during which several water channels and hydraulic control gates are being constructed.

The Theatrum was repainted in November 2011. It is being renovated by reclaiming the fronting marshy area to provide bank-side park venues for the audience; landscaping the surrounding park; placing benches, bridges, walkpaths and other park amenities; and by managing the waterways which lead in and out of the Lagoon.

Preparatory studies for Phases 2 and 3 are in progress.

According to Liongson, Phase 2 requires the addition of storage control structures to manage the quantity and quality of water flows and hopefully promote the biodiversity in the upstream waterways. An upper ponded area may be re-engineered to make it capable of improving the quality of water effluents through phytoremediation. The area refers to the wetlands around the Beta Epsilon Way, from the University Library to A. Roces Avenue. Phase 3 extends to the water quality management and effluent treatment for the next upstream area from Vinzon’s Hall to the University Library.

During the 1980s to early 1990s, the Lagoon used to hold various types of fish in its more than a meter deep freshwater, while the Theatrum area used to be an ideal venue for family picnics and cultural events. The present project aims to recapture and improve upon the good experience of the Lagoon park for the enjoyment of the present and future generations of campus constituents and community.

UPD seeks better security

2012-04-25T21:07:00.001-07:00

UPD seeks better security
UP Newsletter, March 2012

The creation of a faculty-led safety and welfare committee, stricter implementation of security and traffic rules, the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and bar gates, and proactive community participation in the promotion of safety within the 493-hectare campus were highlighted among UPD plans to improve campus security in the recent Kapihan ng Bayan sa UP held at the Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, last February 20.

UP Alumni Association (UPAA) President and Alumni Regent Gladys Tiongco facilitated the discussions and asked for the approval of the committee-recommended checking of IDs and bags by metal detector-equipped security guards at the entrances of all buildings in UP Diliman.

Hosted by the UPAA, Office of Alumni Relations, and Office of the Vice-President for Public Affairs, the Kapihan provided a venue for UP Diliman stakeholders to discuss various measures to improve campus security following the robbery and frustrated murder of Political Science student Lordei Hina last February 1 at the UP Vinzons Hall.

According to Task Force Lordei, Hina survived near-fatal multiple stab wounds and head fractures. She has been in intensive care and is recovering after her brain surgery. While she has shown signs of recognition, she has to undergo therapy for three to six months to regain normal brain functions.

One of the assailants is still at-large while the other, identified as a Dan Mar Vicencio, is in the custody of the Quezon City Police. Vicencio was allegedly high on drugs during the attack.

Everybody’s concern

UP Diliman Chancellor Caesar Saloma said the security system covering the 493-hectare campus involves everyone. He appealed to UP alumni, students, faculty, employees, and barangay leaders to work hand in hand, given the vast land area (bordering Camp Caringal, Visayas, C-5 Katipunan, and Commonwealth Avenues), a road network totaling 32.7 kms. with numerous portals, a growing population (27,500+ mandated stakeholders or faculty, students and employees; 15,484 households in 7 barangays; and thousands of visitors daily), limited security personnel, and lack of budget.

Saloma noted that informal settlers outnumber the mandated stakeholders of UP, thus the need for realistic relocation programs. He explained that only households included in the census conducted last October will qualify for relocation, to be facilitated by UP, in cooperation with legislators and the Quezon City government.

He said UP should aim for “operational excellence” as well as academic excellence. Past practices and costly arrangements on security and basic utilities were reviewed to address security issues, water leakages and electricity spending, among others.

Multisectoral committee

Saloma said the newly-formed multisectoral Community Safety and Welfare Committee is headed by the UPD Chancellor, with the Chief Security Officer as vice-chair, and the Vice-Chancellor for Community Affairs, Legal Office representative, Faculty Representative, Staff Representative, Police Chief, DMST Representative, and the USC Chairperson as members.

He emphasized the value of having a UP faculty member to supervise day-to-day security operations while the committee implements its decisions on security matters, contracts with the security agencies, and reviews their performance under the new system.

As of press time, UPD has approximately 42 police officers and 9 staff, 300 security guards, and 51 members of the Security Services Brigade, assigned to various shifts and areas of responsibility. For the night time shift, security personnel are tasked to conduct patrols since there is no need to guard already locked buildings.

Not cost-cutting

Saloma said UP is not cost-cutting -- “hindi totoong nagtitipid” -- on its security capabilities. The previous budget allocation was maintained. He revealed that campus security personnel have received new equipment like radios, metal detectors and patrol cars. The committee is also reviewing personnel benefits and preparing to give them additional training.

According to Saloma, the security service contracts cost more than P87 million for 303 guards in 2011 and only P67.2 million for 236 guards in 2012. The difference of P20.89 million will be used to install bar gates at campus portals and CCTV cameras in strategic locations.

He said the surveillance equipment will be used as a deterrent to maintain security and to monitor traffic violations, such as vehicular noise, smoke emission and blowing of horns. He added that access to CCTV footage will be restricted and owned by the chancellor’s office, not by the security guards.

Suggestions from the community

Former UP President Francisco Nemenzo said the tried and tested security personnel who have become familiar with UP faculty should be retained. He added that the implementation of rules should be consistent.

Retired general Jimmy de los Santos proposed the formation of a bike brigade as a simple and economical way to make security personnel and volunteers more visible to the community. Roving personnel are expected to serve as force multipliers for the UP Police, as deterrent to crime and as emergency responders. He also asked for improved lighting on campus.

Saloma supported the idea of having a bike brigade. “If UPAA can donate 10 bicycles, that would be a very good project,” he said.

Several faculty members also wanted theft, drug abuse, and traffic violations like vehicular smoke and noise pollution in the barangays addressed.

Saloma reminded the audience that security is just one component of the overall risk management and disaster response system on which the whole community should work together.

EBM

2012-04-25T21:05:00.002-07:00

CMC hosts first national ComRes conference

2012-04-25T21:03:00.003-07:00

CMC hosts first national ComRes conference
UP Newsletter, February 2012

The Department of Communication Research of the College of Mass Communication (CMC) of UP Diliman (UPD) hosted the first National Communication Research Conference (NCRC) last January 13 and 14 at the CMC Media Center in Diliman, Quezon City.

With the theme “Creatively Rediscovering Communication and Media,” more than 150 students and faculty members from across the country attended the conference. Nine best research papers, one per category, were selected from the students’ submissions for the NCRC competition.

A post-conference workshop was also held to equip teachers with advanced research paradigms and methodologies.

The UP CMC, Philippine Association of Communication Educators, and Philippines Communication Society co-sponsored the two-day conference.
NCRC winners

University of Santo Tomas (UST) students Carissa Caraig, Mery Rose Ajero, Lou Mariz Abadilla, and Mary Janine Baban’s “Rhetoric of Radio: An exploratory study on the language of AM Radio news in Manila and its implication in the structural journalistic approach of radio journalism” was chosen best presentation under the category “Keeping Up With Evolutionary Media.” It describes how selected radio news in Manila influences audiences.

For the two-part category “Learning About Communication in Education,” the studies awarded were: “Interpersonal Relations Over Negative Media Exposure: Non-Muslim Children’s Attitudes And Behaviors Towards Their Muslim Classmates In Zamboanga City” by January Leron and Candeze Mongaya of the UP Cebu College; and “Shared Life: A Promotional Video for INSA’s Scholarship Program” by Avon Abogadie, Michelle Denise Amio, and Phoebe Tarroja of Miriam College.

“Leadership Style & Employee Complacency” by Alvina Antonio of UP Manila, which tackled the reorganization in the National Power Corporate main office, was declared best paper under the category “Dynamics of Interpersonal Relations”.

UP students Angela Mhae Herrera and Albert San Diego’s “Brrrrr! Coke as an Instrument of Globalization and Equality” bagged the prize in the category “Glo[c]alization: Localizing the global, globalizing the local.” The research discusses how the company’s commercials promote globalization and equality by focusing on the culture of the country.

In the undergraduate competition, the papers “The Otakus Who Walk among Us: A Study on the Experiences of Young Filipinos on Japanese Pop Culture” by Gina Margarita Cabildo, April Joy Cruz, and Larize Lee of Miriam College, and “Paghubad Kay Adan: Isang Pagkilatis sa Maskulinismo ng mga Pilipino sa Kristine ni Martha Cecilia” by Genevieve Gail Vitas of the Southern Luzon State University, Lucban, Quezon, were selected as best entries for the categories “Deeper into Everyday Communication: Analyzing the language of everyday texts” and “Looking Beyond the Media Portrayal,” respectively. Vitas’ study shows how a pocket book series depicts and affirms as inherent to their sexuality the roles males (domineering) and females (dominated) play in society.

In the graduate level of the competition, UST students’ researches bested others’.

“The ‘Evolving Self’ in the Narratives of Recovering Addicts: A Journey through Symbolic Interactionism” by UST student Susan Jo won best paper in the category “Community Communication: Communication that originates from, circulates in, and resonates with communities.” The paper discusses how recovering addicts articulate their identities as ‘evolving selves’ within a ‘therapeutic community’. It affirms how rehabilitation patients and people with other illnesses can be better understood and helped via figurative language, metaphorical texts, or symbolisms.

In the category “Transformative Media: To transform and be transformed by media,” the best research was “Free and Fearless: The online disinhibition effect in blogs and social networks” by Sherelle Mainica Perez, also from UST. The study features cyberpsychology and analyzes the concept of online self-disclosure and disinhibition using indigenous psychology such as Jocano’s concept of hiya.