#universityofthephilippines STUDENT REGENT’S STATEMENT ON THE NEW #UPPrexy  

“OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE OSR ON THE ELECTION OF THE 21st UP PRESIDENT
“Today, the UP Board of Regents elected the next President of the university. As the sole representative of the students in the highest policy-making body of the university, it is imperative that the Student Regent always strive to fight for the interests of the students and the people.
“To ensure that the voice of the students be heard, we crafted the Student Agenda during island-wide congresses as our platform for the next administration. It is grounded on our fundamental right to education.
“We forwarded this agenda to the nominees. Through further assessment and deliberation we have opted to vote for UP Law Dean Danilo Concepcion as our next UP President, on the grounds that he, among all the other nominees, gave the most positive commitments toward our Student Agenda.
“He committed to aid in our campaign against tuition and other school fees increase and to ensure transparency with regard to the fees collected by our university. Particularly, he plans to issue a moratorium on tuition and other fees increases. He is also willing to engage with the students in order to study the possibility of free UP education.
“He also recognized the students’ opposition to the GE reform, opening it for further study. As to the controversial eUP project, he agreed to hold its implementation until further investigation.
“He promised to fill up and add items for our staff and faculty, as well as ensure annual Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) incentives.
“Moreover, he gave commitments towards upholding UP as a university of the people, particularly through gaining system-wide support for the struggle of national minorities and involving the university in the campaign for just and lasting peace in our country.
“However, we maintain our strong opposition against the eUP project and other privatization schemes in the university. Though he is for the holding of its implementation, he must recognize the the eUP project as a form of privatization for the interest of big and foreign businesses. Also, while he supports the campaign against tuition and other school fees increase, we asserted that the next UP President must junk all exorbitant, redundant, and dubious school fees.
“The students will not stop in opposing all anti-student policies despite our unities. We congratulate Dean Danilo Concepcion for his election as the next UP President, and challenge him to uphold the university’s mandate to provide accessible, quality, and patriotic education for the youth. Amid intensifying neoliberal attacks on our education, it is imperative for our next UP President to fight alongside the ranks of the students, faculty, and the rest of the community.
“We maintain that the only way for the Iskolar ng Bayan and the people to achieve genuine change is through militant, sustained, and organized struggle – it is our most potent weapon against an oppressive system that denies the youth its fundamental right to education.”